Pea, Chive and Ricotta Gnudi

Photo by Michael Piazza / Styled by Catrine Kelty

As the name suggests, gnudi (pronounced with a silent “g”) are nude Italian dumplings—essentially a ravioli filling without the pasta wrapper. In this rendition, a mixture of peas, chives and fresh ricotta is bound together with flour, egg and Parmigiano Reggiano. Delicate balls are then rolled in flour to create an outer skin that keeps them intact when lowered into boiling water. The gnudi need to rest in the refrigerator for at least two hours before cooking, or can be frozen for future enjoyment.

Serves 6

2 cups peas, fresh or frozen and thawed, half reserved for serving
1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
½ cup roughly chopped chives, plus more for garnish
1 pound ricotta
⅓ cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, plus more for serving
1 cup flour, plus more for dusting
1 egg, lightly beaten
pepper, to taste
6 tablespoons butter

Cook the peas in boiling salted water for about 3 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water.

Place 1 cup of the peas and the chopped chives in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse a few times, stopping to scrape down the sides of a bowl with a rubber spatula, until the peas and chives are chopped into a rough paste.

Scrape the pea mixture into a large bowl. Add the ricotta, Parmigiano, 1 cup flour, beaten egg and 1 teaspoon salt. Stir with a fork until everything is well combined.

Dust a rimmed sheet pan liberally with flour. Scoop balls of the ricotta mixture about the size of a ping-pong ball and drop them onto the floured sheet pan. Toss them around until well coated in flour and roll between your hands to make them uniform. Keep the gnudi on the floured sheet pan, cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Carefully lower in half the gnudi and cook for 4–5 minutes, or until the balls float to the surface. Use a large slotted spoon or spider to lift them out and transfer them to a platter. Repeat with the remaining gnudi.

Melt the butter in a large skillet until foamy. Add the reserved peas and gnudi and gently swirl around for a minute or two until everything is coated in the butter. Serve sprinkled with chopped chives and extra Parmigiano.

This recipe appeared in the Spring 2024 issue as part of a larger story on Homemade Ricotta.