RICOTTA GNUDI, or MALFATTI

These rustic ricotta and spinach dumplings are similar to gnocchi, but are richer, speckled green with spinach and scented with nutmeg. They are also known as malfatti, which translates as ‘badly formed’. Like I said, rustic.

Prepare a tray dusted with fine semolina ready for your finished dumplings.

Strain the ricotta by placing it in a muslin cloth or a tea towel and squeezing it to remove the excess liquid. The ricotta will lose around 10–15% of its weight and have a much firmer consistency. Transfer it into a medium bowl and set to one side.

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan and cook the shallot and garlic for around 3 minutes on a medium heat. Add the spinach and cook for a further 2–3 minutes, stirring from time to time, until the spinach has wilted.

Transfer the spinach mixture to a colander and squeeze any excess liquid out by pressing it hard with a wooden spoon; otherwise allow it to cool and just squeeze with your hands until the spinach has lost all its moisture.

Finely chop the spinach and add it to the bowl of ricotta along with the Parmesan, nutmeg, egg, semolina and lemon zest. Beat together with a wooden spoon and season to taste. Leave in the fridge to rest and firm for 30 minutes before shaping.

When you are ready to shape the gnudi, I suggest wetting your hands just a little, as this stops the soft mixture from sticking to them. Shape into balls the size of a walnut and place them on the prepared tray.

Slide the tray of gnudi into the fridge for an hour to firm up (you can leave them overnight if you’d like to prepare them ahead).

Bring a medium pan of water to the boil before adding salt, then cook the gnudi for 2 minutes, or until they bob to the surface.

Meanwhile, place the butter and water in a large saucepan and melt the butter, swirling together to create a thin, buttery sauce.

Now lift the gnudi into the sauce, add the sage leaves and swirl once again. Serve straightaway, with a generous topping of Parmesan.