Summer Gnudi with tarragon and Grana Padano

Taking their name from the Italian word ‘nudi’ meaning ‘naked,’ these pillowy soft balls are similar to what one might use as the filling for a ravioli – only they are without the pasta shell and are therefore, naked. I love to serve gnudi in the Summer. Blissfully light and full of flavour they make a perfect simple supper or lunch in the garden. You can finish them by frying them in a little butter as I do or serve them as they are with some good olive oil, lemon zest and grated Grana Padano. Gnudi are both incredibly simple and enjoyable to make. The key here, as is often the case with Italian cooking, is to use good quality ingredients. I use Grana Padano Riserva for mine and a good Italian ricotta. Grana Padano Riserva is the most mature of the Grana Padano vintages. Aged for over 20 months, it has a wonderfully rich, almost nutty quality to it. You can easily recognise Grana Padano from its fantastic fire branded rind. For me, there is no substitute.

Similar to a classic gnudi, this recipe calls for spinach (and rather a lot of it too). It is imperative that your spinach is drained properly to ensure you have perfect fluffy gnudi that do not break when cooking. I make the most of the herb garden at this time of year and include basil and tarragon too. These two bold aromatic herbs marry perfectly with the maturity of the Grana Padano Riserva. Finished with a zesty lemon and tarragon butter and more freshly grated Grana Padano there really isn’t anything more delicious.

Ingredients

| Serves 4 (or 2-3 generously |

500g fresh spinach (250g drained and squeezed)

65g Grana Padano Riserva, finely grated (plus more to serve)
250g ricotta
A pinch of salt

2 lemons
25g tarragon leaves (about a good bunch)
15g fresh basil (about a good bunch)
1 large egg
50g semolina flour
50g plain flour

To serve:

100g butter (75g plus a knob for frying)
Handful of tarragon leaves (about 5g)
Lemon zest
Pinch of salt

Method

Place your ricotta in a sieve for 30-40 mins and allow any excess water to drain
Place your spinach in a large saucepan with a good splash of water. Cover with a lid and cook on a medium heat until the spinach leaves wilt, stirring occasionally. Drain the spinach and allow to cool completely before squeezing out as much of the water as you can. Be vigilant with this or you’ll end up with soggy gnudi. Chop the spinach as fine as you can
Separate the basil and tarragon leaves from the stem and finely chop
Place your chopped spinach and herbs in a bowl with the ricotta, grated Grana Padano Riserva, salt, the zest of half a lemon and the egg. Mix until well incorporated
In a separate bowl combine your flours, using a little to lightly flour a large board
Using a teaspoon, scoop a spoonful of the gnudi mix (roughly walnut sized) and drop it into the flour bowl. Toss it in the flour gently before rolling it into a ball using your hands and placing it onto the floured board. Repeat until you have made all the gnudi
Bring a large wide pan of salted water to a gentle boil (I like to use a deep-frying pan for this) and, cooking them in batches, gently drop the gnudi in. Allow them to cook for about 5 mins until they bob to the surface. Remove them with a slotted spoon and continue until you have cooked all your gnudi (transferring the cooked gnudi to a plate as you go)
Heat a knob of butter in a large frying pan (you could use the pan you boiled them in, just discard the water) and fry the gnudi for 3 mins
Whilst your gnudi fry, melt the 75g of butter in a small saucepan. Once melted, stir in a handful of fresh tarragon leaves and the remaining zest of your lemons
Plate the gnudi. Spoon over the lemony tarragon butter, generously grate over more Grana Padano Riserva and some lemon zest (if you like).

For more Summer recipes try these Peppers with Mozzarella and Anchovy Breadcrumbs or this Caesar Salad With Yogurt Dressing.