Spinach Nudi–Spring Is Here!

These delicate spinach dumplings are nudi, or naked, as they are without any type of dough enclosure.

2 pounds fresh spinach (to yield 1 pound trimmed), washed well
½ pound Ricotta, drained
4 egg yolks
1½ cups freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, divided
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or more, if you like it spicy)
1 tablespoon flour
¼ cup butter, melted
10–15 sage leaves

Cook spinach in a large pot of boiling salted water over medium-high heat for 10 minutes; drain in a colander and cool under cold running water. Place spinach in a clean tea towel; squeeze until completely dry (ravioli will fall apart during cooking if there is moisture on leaves). Finely chop.

Combine Ricotta, egg yolks, 1 cup of the Parmigiano, lemon zest, nutmeg and cayenne in a large mixing bowl. Stir in spinach; season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add flour and stir just until combined.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a simmer over medium heat. Wet hands (mixture will be sticky) and shape about 1 tablespoon mixture into a ball. Drop ball into simmering water; cook until it floats to the top. If the nudi fall apart, add a little more flour to mixture. Test again. Cook ravioli in batches. As they float to the top, transfer to a covered serving dish to keep warm.

Melt butter until nut brown. Add the sage leaves, stirring until evenly coated and slightly crisp. Spoon butter and sage over nudi; top with remaining Parmigiano. Serve immediately.

Makes 4 servings

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