"Um, excuse me waiter, but my ravioli is shamelessly exposed."
"Yes, ma'am. You ordered the gnudi."
Those of you who have never heard of naked ravioli should first try chef Andrea Menichetti's version at Vino E Olio to get a feel for how the finished product should taste and appear. It's a traditional Tuscan dish that any Miamians still aren't familiar with. This is quite surprising because our city is all about scantily clad everything.
(The second part of the chef's interview appears here.)
Naked Ravioli with Ricotta Cheese and Spinach
Serves 1
4 oz. ricotta cheese
1 oz. boiled spinach , dried and chopped
½ oz. butter
3 sage leaves
1 oz. parmesan
1 egg white
pinch of cinnamon
pinch of nutmeg
2 oz. flour
Directions:
1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
2. In a separate mixing bowl or ood processor, combine the ricotta cheese, boiled spinach, egg white, half of the parmesan cheese (1/2 ounce), nutmeg, cinnamon and a pinch of salt until blended. Add flour in three batches to the mixture until incorporated into a dough.
3. Flour your surface and knead the dough until smooth (between five to ten times).
4. Shape the dough into little balls or dumplings.
5. Drop the dumplings in boiling water, cooking until they float (usually about 1 minute).
6. Remove gnudi from boiling water and place in oven-safe dish.
7. Top gnudi with butter, sage, and parmesan cheese and bake at 400 degrees for 4 minutes.
8. Serve.
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