Gnudi with N鈥檇uja Tomato Sauce
Homemade Ricotta cheese
900ml whole milk
100ml double cream
1 clove garlic, minced or finely grated
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
Few sprigs fresh thyme and rosemary
2 tablespoons white wine or cider vinegar
Fry the garlic in the oil for a couple of seconds and add the thyme and rosemary. Cook for a couple of seconds then add the salt, milk and cream. Bring to the boil and add the vinegar and stir until it curdles. Turn the heat off. After half an hour line a sieve over a bowl with muslin. Scoop out the curds into the sieve and allow to drain for 10 minutes. Remove herb sprigs .Use the leftover whey for scones, soda bread etc where you would use buttermilk.
Gnudi
500g ricotta cheese
50g grated parmesan
2 egg yolks ( freeze the whites for future use)
75g “00” or strong bread flour + extra for rolling
Salt and pepper
Place ricotta in a bowl and mix in the parmesan and season with salt and pepper. Add the yolks and mix well. Add the flour and mix to a smooth dough. Scatter a surface liberally with flour and take bite sized pieces of the dough and roll into a ball with the flour.
Bring a pot of salted water to the boil and cook the gnudi in batches – they’re ready when they float.
N’duja tomato sauce
1 onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic
1 stick celery, finely chopped
25g butter
1 x 400g tinned chopped tomatoes + any leftover tomatoes you have in the fridge ( around 150g)
75g n’duja
Cook the onion, garlic and celery gently in the butter for about 10 minutes. Add the n’duja and cook until melted into the onion mixture. Add the tomatoes and simmer for about 25 minutes. Check seasoning.
Serve gnudi on the tomato sauce and garnish with some finely grated parmesan.