Forget Ravioli!

I am kind of excited about this recipe! My children didn't make one peep (a miracle) as they inhaled it, and the next time around I'll increase the amounts so we can have leftovers. I made gnudi. Gnudi is a super easy homemade pasta that is assembled the night before, and as it sits in the fridge it forms itself into a rustic ball shaped ravioli-like pasta. This dish was on the table in less than thirty minutes, so it'd be great for hectic weeknights or entertaining guests. It's a splurge, being cheese-based in a cream sauce, but if you plan for the extra calories and consider the dish to be a once in a while treat, then I don't think it's too bad. Surely you'd get double the calories (and sodium) if you were to eat something similar out!

I meant to fry some strips of prosciutto and sprinkle them over the top, but I forgot until I was plating the gnudi. It made for an awesome vegetarian dish anyway, and my husband only grumbled for a second that there wasn't any meat present. We agreed that the gnudi would also be amazing as an appetizer, fried and served with marinara for dipping. Serve with a crisp green salad and, if you really want to splurge, some crusty whole grain bread to mop up the sauce (oh how I wish I'd thought of that earlier in the day so I could've had some on hand!).

Gnudi in a Mushroom Cream Sauce

If you're lucky enough to have wild mushrooms available, by all means use them! Morels, chanterelles, etc would be amazing. I used a grocery store assortment of white button, porcini, and shiitake.

Gnudi:

1 cup freshly grated best quality Parmesan cheese

1 cup fresh ricotta cheese, preferably homemade*

2 large eggs

1/2-1 tsp ground nutmeg

1/2 cup all purpose flour

2 tbsp minced fresh chives

salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

about 1 lb semolina flour

Using a hand mixer, beat the ricotta until smooth. Add the eggs, Parmesan, and nutmeg. Beat until smooth and fluffy. Fold in the flour and chives and add salt and a few grinds of pepper, to taste (I actually chose not to add salt and it was great).

Sprinkle the semolina over the bottom of an 11x7" pan to cover. Lightly flour your hands and roll the cheese mixture into 1" balls, placing each one in the semolina. When all have been rolled, sprinkle semolina over the top to thoroughly coat. Wrap tightly in plastic and chill overnight. (This step is important because the pasta forms around the cheese as it sits.)

The next evening, put a large pot of water on and bring to a boil. Place a bowl with a strainer in it next to the pot so you have a place to put the cooked gnudi (this makes the transfer easier). Assemble the sauce ingredients.

Mushroom Cream Sauce:

2 cups whipping cream

1 cup freshly grated best quality Parmesan cheese

3 cups assorted mushrooms, sliced or chopped
3 green onions, chopped

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 tbsp unsalted butter

white pepper, to taste

a few slices prosciutto, sliced into strips and cooked until crisp, optional

chopped Italian parsley

Heat the oil and butter in a large skillet. Saute the mushrooms until done, then transfer to a glass bowl. Stir in the green onions and set aside.

Wipe out any remaining grease. Bring the cream to a boil, watching so it doesn't boil over, and reduce by half. Stir in the Parmesan, white pepper to taste, and mushroom mixture and keep warm.

While you're sauteing the mushrooms, you can cook the gnudi in batches (multitask!). Place half of the gnudi in the boiling water. When they float (about 4 minutes), scoop them into the strainer with a slotted spoon. Repeat with the remaining pasta. Save the remaining semolina flour for the next time, or for a different variety of fresh pasta.

To serve, place a little sauce in the bottom of the plate and top with gnudi. Pour another scoop of sauce over the top and sprinkle with parsley and prosciutto, if using.

*I have tried this recipe with both homemade and store-bought ricotta. Store bought works ok, although the balls will be super sticky due to the moisture content in the cheese. Homemade is much nicer to work with because you can get it relatively dry by straining it, and it forms strudier balls more suited for rolling. If your mixture is too "wet," use a spoon and drop it into the semolina. Roll around to coat. They may flatten a little, but will still cook up nicely.

A rich dinner like this one calls for a light, fresh dessert that's not overpowering. I had some blackberries in the fridge leftover from the Farmers' Market, so I whipped up a fresh berry sorbet. If you don't like the seeds, double the amount of berries used and press them through a strainer first.

Blackberry Lime Sorbet

about 4 cups blackberries, rinsed

juice from 1 lime

1/3 cup sugar, agave, or honey

Place the berries in a blender and puree. Add the sugar and lime juice and blend well. Pour into an ice cream maker and freeze according to manufacturer's directions. Serves 4.