Baked Tuscan gnudi with homemade tomato sauce and mozzarella.

Method10 steps · about 2 hr 30 min

1. 1

   Step 1: Wash your spinach and boil in a little water until wilted, then drain and leave to cool a bit, wring out well in a tea towel and chop finely.

   Uses 14 oz fresh spinach, wilted, drained and chopped · A little unmeasured water for wilting spinach

2. 2

   Step 2: Drain the ricotta (14 oz) of any liquid and put it in a bowl with the spinach, 2/3 of the grated Parmigiano, the egg (1), the egg yolk (1) and the flour (2 oz), after passing it through a sieve. Grate a little nutmeg (1 pinch) into the mixture. Add salt and pepper as required.

   Uses Prepared spinach from step 1 · 14 oz drained ricotta · Two-thirds of the one 3½ oz grated Parmigiano supply for gnudi mixture · 1 egg · 1 yolk · 2 oz flour · 1 pinch grated nutmeg · Pepper to taste

3. 3

   Step 3: Mix everything carefully with a fork. You can also use your hands but you don’t want to knead this dough, just make sure all the ingredients are well incorporated. Cover the bowl with cling film and leave it to rest for at least 1- 2 hours in the fridge.

   Uses Prepared spinach/ricotta mixture from step 2

4. 4

   Step 4: For the tomato route, gently soften the 2–3 peeled garlic cloves in olive oil. Add the 14 oz tomato passata or chopped tomatoes and simmer for 15–20 minutes. Season with salt and black pepper, stir in the 6–8 basil leaves and remove the garlic. Skip this sauce and the mozzarella preparation in step 5 if choosing the sage-butter route in step 8.

   Simmer tomato sauce · 20 minUses 14 oz passata or chopped tomatoes · 2–3 peeled garlic cloves · Olive oil for tomato sauce; amount unstated · 6–8 basil leaves · Season sauce to taste · Season sauce to taste

5. 5

   Step 5: Drain the mozzarella (14 oz) and cut into thin slices.

   Uses 14 oz mozzarella, drained and sliced

6. 6

   Step 6: Place some baking paper on a tray and sprinkle with flour. Take about a flat tablespoon full of gnudi mixture and form into a ball. You can use wet or floured hands to make the balls. I use an ice-cream/melon scope or a tablespoon to get the same quantity of gnudi mixture for each ball. Place the gnudi on the tray and roll a little to cover each ball slightly in flour.

   Uses Rested mixture from step 3 · Unmeasured flour for tray and dusting shaped gnudi

7. 7

   Step 7: Put a pot of water onto boil. Cook the gnudi in the boiling water for 2-4 minutes, when they come to the surface, allow a few seconds and then remove with a slotted spoon. The time it takes your gnudi to rise to the surface will depend on how big they are.

   Cook gnudi · 4 minUses Prepared gnudi from step 6 · Unmeasured pot of water for boiling gnudi · Salt boiling water; amount unstated

8. 8

   Step 8: Choose this step only for sage-butter (3.5 oz) gnudi, then skip steps 9–10. While the gnudi cook, melt the 3½ oz butter in a skillet and add the 6–8 sage leaves. Cook, watching closely, until the butter is lightly browned and the sage crisp. Plate the cooked gnudi, pour over the sage butter and finish with some or all of the remaining one-third of the grated cheese and black pepper if desired. Serve immediately.

   Uses Cooked gnudi from step 7 · 3.5 oz butter for optional sage-butter serving route · 6–8 sage leaves for optional sauce · Use from remaining one-third of 3.5 oz cheese supply if serving with sage butter; portion unknown · Optional pepper to taste

9. 9

   Step 9: For baked gnudi, skip the sage-butter step. Spread the prepared tomato sauce in a baking dish, place the boiled gnudi in it and spoon some sauce over them. For the author’s unbaked tomato-sauce option, serve at this point with the remaining grated cheese instead of adding mozzarella and baking.

   Uses Prepared tomato sauce from step 4 · Prepared gnudi from step 7

10. 10

    Step 10: For the baked route, preheat the oven to 180°C (356°F). Cover the gnudi and tomato sauce with the prepared mozzarella slices and the remaining one-third of the measured Parmigiano. Bake for 10–15 minutes, until the mozzarella has melted, the gnudi are hot throughout and the top is beginning to brown. Serve immediately.

    Bake gnudi · 15 minUses Gnudi and sauce arranged in dish · Prepared mozzarella from step 5 · Remaining one-third of the 3½ oz Parmigiano supply for the baked topping