No-bake Gnudi tastes like lasagne without the noodles
Every once in a while when I see the name of a recipe, I'm intrigued and then I prepare it. I'll review the contents to be sure that I like most of the ingredients — black olives and a lot of dill are definite no-no's — and then I'll make the dish.
That's what happened when I ran across this gnudi recipe. Even though I didn't know how to pronounce the name of the dish or know exactly what I was eating, I wanted to be surprised. And I was.
This recipe doesn't require any baking, frying or oil, but instead uses boiling water to cook the dish. I thought it tasted like lasagna without the noodles. And that's exactly what gnudi (pronounced nu-dee), which means nude in Italian , is — ravioli, lasagna or any other dumpling-like Italian dish, minus the noodles. I thought it tasted pretty good, and I think if you love Italian, you'll probably like gnudi.
Gnudi
Adapted from Giada DeLaurentis' show "Everyday Italian" on the Food Network.
• 1/4 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
• 1 (10-ounce) package frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
• 1 egg
• 1 egg yolk
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, plus 1/8 cup for coating
• 1/2 cup store-bought marinara sauce, heated
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
In a large bowl, mix ricotta, spinach, Parmesan cheese, egg and egg yolk. Stir in nutmeg, salt, pepper and flour. Form mixture into small, flattened balls.
Coat the formed gnudi in flour, tapping off the excess, and slide them into the boiling water. Be careful not to overcrowd the pan; work in batches if necessary. Remove the gnudi using a slotted spoon after they float to the top and have cooked for about 4 minutes.
Arrange gnudi on a platter and lightly drizzle with marinara sauce. Makes 8. Serves 4.
Per serving: 166 calories; 8 g fat (4 g saturated fat; 43 percent calories from fat); 10 g carbohydrates; 122 mg cholesterol; 625 mg sodium; 11 g protein; 3 g fiber.
Curtrise Garner of Detroit is the author of “The New Rules of Etiquette.” You can e-mail her at cgarner@gourmetgroove.com.
http://detnews.com/article/20101021/OPINION03/10210321/1463/LIFESTYLE05/No-bake-Gnudi-tastes-like-lasagne-without-the-noodles#ixzz13SPQDltD
