Recipe: Luke Shimp's Spinach & Ricotta Gnudi
The Minnesota Restaurant Association's Restaurateur of the Year Award recognizes professionalism, innovation, leadership and community involvement. This year's recipient is Luke Shimp, president and co-owner of Red Cow.
Spinach & Ricotta Gnudi
Ingredients:
• 1 lb. frozen spinach
• 8 oz. ricotta (after draining), drained overnight
• 2 tsp. salt
• 1/8 cup all-purpose flour (plus 4 cups to bury the gnudi)
• 4 tbsp. butter, melted
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 egg
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper
• 1/8 cup parmesan, grated
• 2 tbsp. butter
• 6 leaves sage
• Parmesan, grated for garnish
Directions:
• Hang the ricotta in cheesecloth and let drain overnight in the refrigerator.
• Thaw the spinach overnight in a refrigerator. Squeeze out any excess water from the spinach and set aside.
• In a food processor, blend all ingredients except the 4 cups flour until a smooth mixture is achieved.
• Dust the bottom of an 8"x10" or like sized pan with 1/4" of flour. Scoop roughly 1.5 oz. balls into the flour, making sure they are not touching each other. Dust the top of the balls so they are completely covered. Allow to sit refrigerated in the flour for 18-24 hours.
• When finished, gently remove the balls from the flour and dust off any excess flour. The balls should be white with flour.
To Serve:
• Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Gently drop the gnudi into the water and cook for 4-5 minutes until the gnudi start to float.
• Separately in a large sauté pan, brown the 2 tbsp. butter from cold with the sage leaves. Carefully add the gnudi to the pan and coat with the sage brown butter. Serve immediately on a plate with the sage butter and garnish with a sprinkle of grated Parmesan.
