Beetroot Ricotta Gnudi in Sage & Butter

Beetroot Ricotta Gnudi in a Sage and Butter Sauce. These Italian dumplings look so impressive with their bright pink colour but don't be fooled they're easy to whip up and are suited to date night or a special occasion.

We mean, how cute are these beetroot ricotta gnudi?! The intense pink colour make them suited to date night, Valentine's Day or any special occasion when you want to impress and they are SO comforting.

They're served in a simple sage and butter sauce with a tiny amount of sea salt and garnished with fresh lemon zest. Simple food with a ton of flavour!

What are Gnudi?

Gnudi means naked in Italian (we know you giggled to yourself there). They're pretty much a naked ravioli i.e the filling without the pasta but they're mixed with a little flour and egg to make them extra light and fluffy Italian dumplings. They're lightly poached in hot water until they rise to surface and then can be tossed with any sauce you like.

Gnudi Vs Gnocchi – What's the Difference?

Gnudi and gnocchi are both forms of Italian dumplings but gnocchi are made with potatoes and gnudi are always made with ricotta as the base. They are both made with eggs, flour and seasonings such as parmesan and nutmeg.

When making gnocchi with potatoes you have to use the right variety of potato and be careful not to over knead the mixture or you can easily lose the light and fluffy texture.

We also have a recipe for ricotta gnocchi (no potato) which are as easy to make as these gnudi but they are different. Our ricotta gnocchi are made with more flour and rolled out into a dough, the end result is light but firm whereas these gnudi are light and much softer.

How to Make Beetroot Ricotta Gnudi – Step By Step

Wrap the beetroot in foil. You can cut the stalks down to 2cm (about 1 inch) but don't be tempted to cut more or peel the beetroot or it will bleed and you'll lose the vibrant colour. Place the wrapped beetroot in the oven and roast for 45 minutes or until cooked through. Carefully open the foil and let it cool.

The skins will come off easily (you might want to use gloves) from the cooled beetroot, remove them and roughly chop the beetroot. Place in a food processor or use an immersion blender and blitz to a rough purée (photos 2-3).

Add the ricotta, egg, parmesan, nutmeg, lemon zest and salt and pepper to a glass bowl and mix to combine (photo 3).

Add the pureed beetroot to the ricotta mixture and mix to combine (don't worry if there are some small chunks of beetroot in it) photo 4.

Sift in the flour and mix to combine then cover with cling film and place in the fridge for 1-2 hours (photo 7).

After the mixture has chilled, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Using wet hands (important) roll the gnudi into balls around 1 tbsp of mixture at a time and place on a plate or tray lightly dusted with flour (photo 8).

Top Tip: It's important to wet your hands to shape the gnudi into balls and you want to be quick (a few seconds). They are soft so will stick to your hands if they aren't wet, don't be tempted to use flour they'll stick.

Place the gundi in boiling water, when they rise to the surface they're done. Meanwhile melt butter in a frying pan until bubbly, add sage leaves and fry for a minute then add the cooked gnudi. Toss in the butter and serve with a grating of fresh lemon zest (photo 9).

Other Sauces to Serve Gnudi with

Sage and butter is a simple sauce that's incredibly good but if you're maybe not a fan of sage you can toss the gnudi with whatever sauce you like. Here are some suggestions; if you go for a chunky sauce such as a meat ragu then we recommend shaping your gnudi into smaller balls (half the size).

• Broccoli Cream Sauce
• Red Pepper Cream Sauce
• Easy Sausage Ragu
• Authentic Italian Tomato Sauce
• Tomato and Guanciale (or pancetta)

Recipe Tips

• Beetroot will stain your hands when peeling the skin so wear gloves if you can.
• Use unwaxed lemons for the zest.
• If you leave the mixture for longer than 1-2 hours you might notice juice from the beetroot leaking out from the ricotta mix it back together to combine again.
• Because the beetroot juice does separate we don't recommend you shape the gnudi into balls in advance, do it before cooking.
• Always use wet hands when shaping the gnudi to stop them sticking to your hands
• When the gnudi rise to the surface of the water they are ready. They take longer than store-bought gnocchi they'll need around 3-4 minutes.
• Serve the gnudi immediately when they are extra light and good. Leftovers won't be as light.
• You can easily double this recipe to serve more people.

More Gnudi and Gnocchi Recipes You Might Like:

• Broccoli Rabe Ricotta Gnudi with Parmesan Cream
• Gnocchi with Brown Butter Sage Sauce
• Pan Fried Gnocchi with Rosemary
• Strangolapreti (bread and spinach dumplings)
• Gnocchi with fresh tomato sauce

Ingredients

Makes 2 - 3 servings

• 3.5 oz (100g/about 1 medium sized) raw beetroot (skin still on)
• 8.8 oz (250g) 1 cup ricotta (good quality)
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup (70g) flour
• 1/3 cup (75g) parmesan (freshly grated)
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 lemon zest (unwaxed)
• Salt and pepper

For the Sauce

• 1/3 cup (70g) butter
• 5-6 sage leaves
• lemon zest (for garnish)

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180C (350F).

2. Wrap the beetroot in foil. You can cut the stalks down to 2cm (about 1 inch) but don't be tempted to cut more or peel the beetroot or it will bleed and you'll lose the vibrant colour. Place the wrapped beetroot in the oven and roast for 45 minutes or until cooked through. Carefully open the foil and let it cool.

3. The skins will come off very easily (you might want to use gloves) from the cooled beetroot, remove them and roughly chop the beetroot. Place in a food processor or use an immersion blender and blitz to a rough purée.

4. Add the ricotta, egg, parmesan, nutmeg, lemon zest and a good pinch of salt and pepper to a bowl and mix to combine.

5. Add the pureed beetroot to the ricotta mixture and mix to combine (don't worry if there are some small chunks of beetroot in it).

6. Sift in the flour and mix to combine then cover with cling film and place in the fridge for 1-2 hours.

7. After the mixture has chilled, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Using wet hands (important) roll the gnudi into balls around 1 tbsp of mixture at a time and place on a plate or tray lightly dusted with flour.

8. Place the gundi in boiling water, when they rise to the surface they're done. Meanwhile melt butter in a frying pan until bubbly, add sage leaves and fry for a minute then add the cooked gnudi. Toss in the butter and serve with a grating of fresh lemon zest and a small sprinkling of salt.

Kitchen notes

• Beetroot will stain your hands when peeling the skin so wear gloves if you can.
• Use unwaxed lemons for the zest.
• If you leave the mixture for longer than 1-2 hours you might notice juice from the beetroot leaking out from the ricotta mix it back together to combine again.
• Because the beetroot juice does separate we don't recommend you shape the gnudi into balls in advance, do it before cooking.
• Always use wet hands when shaping the gnudi to stop them sticking to your hands.
• When the gnudi rise to the surface of the water they are ready. They take longer than store-bought gnocchi they'll need around 3-4 minutes.
• Serve the gnudi immediately when they are extra light and good. Leftovers won't be as light.
• You can easily double this recipe to serve more people.