Spinach Ricotta Gnudi with Tomato Butter
Cloud-light Tuscan dumplings of ricotta, spinach, and parmesan, coated in semolina and served in a silky, slow-simmered tomato butter sauce.
By Theo Brandt, Test Kitchen Lead & Cheese Specialist
Published March 23, 2026
- Prep
- 1 hr 40 min
- Cook
- 50 min
- Total
- 2 hrs 30 min
- Servings
- 4
- Level
- Medium
Gnudi means naked in Italian, and these tender dumplings are essentially ravioli filling without the pasta. They are made mostly of ricotta, spinach, and parmesan, with just enough flour to hold them together, so they cook up soft and creamy, almost like a savory cloud.
Rolling them in semolina and chilling them lets a thin, delicate skin form, which keeps them intact in the pot. The sauce is a gentle tomato and butter simmer with a halved onion, a famously simple technique that tastes rich and sweet without any fuss.
They make an impressive but relaxed dinner party first course, and the gnudi can be shaped a day ahead. Finish with plenty of parmesan and fresh basil.
- Light, pillowy ricotta dumplings
- Silky tomato butter sauce
- Make-ahead dinner party dish
Ingredients
Directions
Drain the ricotta in a fine-mesh sieve set over a bowl in the fridge for at least 1 hour.
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