Gnudi with Asparagus and Lemon - Recipe by Alec Morris

Ingredients

1 x quantity gnudi dough (below)
100g butter
2 garlic cloves, lightly smashed
200g asparagus, thinly slivered
Zest of lemon
Cracked black pepper, to serve

Gnudi:

350g ricotta
200g fresh baby spinach leaves, blanched, thoroughly drained and puréed (after blanching, this will reduce to around 90g, so substitute accordingly if using frozen spinach)
50g pecorino Romano, grated
1 egg yolk
2 garlic cloves, crushed
Pinch of nutmeg
160g semolina (for rolling the gnudi in)

Method

Form the dough into gnudi (see gnocchi, gnudi: tutorial, below). Cover loosely and refrigerate for 24 hours. This will seal the soft filling within a firm crust and prevent them from falling apart when cooked.

Melt the butter in a large frying pan over medium heat, then add the garlic and asparagus. Increase the heat to medium–high and fry, stirring, until the asparagus begins to brown about 4–5 minutes. Remove the garlic cloves.

Gently boil the gnudi for 2–3 minutes, until they float, then scoop directly into the frying pan; retain a little pasta water. Toss well and add enough of that pasta water to coat the gnudi well.

Serve with lemon zest and a little cracked pepper.

Gnocchi, gnudi:

Gnocchi, the honorary pasta. Though it’s truly a potato dumpling, the close association and often interchangeability with pasta earns it a fleeting but heartfelt place in our book. Our included recipe is for stuffed gnocchi, but it uses the exact same dough that we make our regular gnocchi.

Roast the potatoes for 40 minutes at 200 C.

Note that here we’re using a blue-purple variety. Once cool enough to handle but still warm, peel off the skins and pass the flesh through a potato ricer. Spread out to allow any excess moisture to evaporate.

Next, fold the cheese, flour, egg, salt and pepper into the potato. Knead for 1–2 minutes before wrapping in plastic wrap and refrigerating for 30 minutes.

To shape, roll the dough into a long sausage of 1–2 cm in diameter; chop into pieces of the same length.

You can either leave them as is, poke a hollow in each with your thumb, or use a finger to drag them along the length of a gnocchi board. Apply gentle downward pressure as you go, allowing the gnocchi to wrap slightly around your finger.

Gnudi:

For gnocchi’s bare cousin gnudi, simply mix all but the semolina together well, flour your hands lightly and roll into small balls.

Toss well to coat in semolina and then refrigerate for 24 hours, loosely covered, before cooking.

Note: Both gnocchi and gnudi should be transferred directly to floured surfaces or a sheet of baking paper as they are made, to avoid sticking.

Credits: This is an edited extract from Pasta et Al by Alec Morris published by Hardie Grant Books.

Photo Credits: This is an edited extract from Pasta et Al by Alec Morris published by Hardie Grant Books.