Naked Spinach and Ricotta Dumplings from Chef Lidia Bastianich

Oval dumplings of ricotta cheese and chopped spinach arranged on a plate with melted butter — Naked Spinach and Ricotta Dumplings, *Lidia's Kitchen*, Season 8, Episode 21 (My Goats & Ricotta)

Lidia Mattichio Bastianich is one of the best-loved chefs on public television, a best-selling cookbook author, restaurateur, and owner of a flourishing food and entertainment business. Her current PBS series, *Lidia's Italy*, has garnered numerous accolades, including the 2009 James Beard Award for Best Television Show. Her latest cookbook, the lushly illustrated *Lidia Cooks from the Heart of Italy*, complements the TV series and provides an appetizing look into the regional cooking of many lesser-known parts of Italy. Her previous public TV credits include *Lidia's Family Table*, *Lidia's Italian-American Kitchen*, and *Lidia's Italian Table*. A proud grandmother of five, Lidia's ebullient approach to life and cooking is summed in her signature line, "Tutti a tavola a mangiare!" or "Everybody to the table to eat!"

May 20, 2025

Think of a pasta dish without the pasta. That’s gnudi, which means “naked dumpling.” The story goes that these delicious mouthfuls of flavor were invented in Florence when, during a meal, the ravioli broke apart, so the chef served the filling as it was. Celebrity chef Lidia Bastianich prepares “naked” spinach and ricotta dumplings with a creamy butter-and-sage sauce on Season 8 of Lidia’s Kitchen on Episode 21, “My Goats & Ricotta.” Tutti a tavola a mangiare!

Makes 25 to 30 pieces

INGREDIENTS

Gnudi ingredients

Kosher salt
3 medium bunches of spinach (about 2 pounds), stems removed
1 pound fresh ricotta, drained overnight
1 large egg, beaten
Pinch of freshly ground nutmeg
1½ cups freshly grated Grana Padano
¼ cup finely grated bread crumbs, more if needed
¼ cup all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling

Butter-and-Sage Sauce ingredients

1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter
12 fresh sage leaves
Freshly ground black pepper

TO PREPARE DUMPLINGS (GNUDI)

STEP 1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the spinach leaves, and cook until tender, about 3-4 minutes. Remove spinach and then empty pot. Wring spinach until dry in a kitchen towel and then chop (will equal approximately 1 cup). Crumble the spinach into a large bowl. Refill the pot with clean salted water and bring to a boil.
STEP 2. Add ricotta, egg, nutmeg, and 1 teaspoon salt to bowl of spinach and mix. Add ½ cup of grated cheese, the bread crumbs, and the flour. Mix until blended and mixture pulls off the sides of the bowl and holds its shape when rolled into a ball between your lightly floured hands. Do not overmix. Scoop a heaping tablespoon of dough into your floured hands and form a ball. Drop in boiling water. If it does not hold its shape and rise to the surface within 1 minute, add more bread crumbs to the dough and re-test.
STEP 3. Spread some flour for rolling in a shallow bowl. Shape dough into 1-inch balls (a heaping tablespoon), roll lightly in flour, and lay on baking sheets covered in parchment paper.
STEP 4. Drop the gnudi gently, one by one, into the boiling water, and cook about 2-3 minutes, until they rise to the top and water comes to a rolling boil. To test for doneness, scoop out one of the gnudi, and press it with your finger. When cooked, the dumpling dough will bounce back, leaving no indentation.

TO PREPARE BUTTER-AND-SAGE SAUCE

STEP 1. Heat the butter in a large skillet over medium heat until melted and just forming. Gently lay the sage leaves in the pan, and heat until they crisp up, for about a minute.
STEP 2. Ladle in 1 cup boiling pasta water. Stir the sauce, and simmer for about 2 minutes, to reduce the liquid by half. Season the sauce with salt and pepper. Keep warm over very low heat.
STEP 3. Transfer cooked gnudi to the sauce with a slotted spoon. Toss gently to coat with the sauce. Remove the skillet from heat, sprinkle with the remaining 1 cup of grated Grana Padano. Toss gently and serve.