NUDI

Nudi in Italian means ‘naked’. They are really ricotta and spinach ravioli without the pasta casing. So they are ‘nudi’.
The first time I tried them was  in Sardegna at a restaurant called ‘ Frati Rossi’

( Red Friars), while doing research for my first book, ‘ Under the Olive Tree’.
‘Nudi’ are super light and so full of flavour. You can serve them as a starter or a light meal  with a mixed salad.

Usually ‘nudi” are made with spinach, but during lockdown I could not find  spinach fresh or frozen ,  so I used frozen, chopped kale ( cavolo nero). It worked really well.

• serves 6 people as a main

• 800 gr frozen, chopped kale ( or spinach )
• 500 gr fresh ricotta
• 2 organic egg yolks plus 2 whole eggs, beaten
• 2 cups freshly grated parmigiano, plus extra for the table
• salt and pepper to taste
• plain unbleached flour for dusting the ‘nudi”
• 20 leaves fresh sage
• 100 gr unsalted butter

• with your hands, squeeze the water out of the defrosted kale really well
• mix the ricotta, eggs, parmigiano, salt, pepper and kale together with a fork
• roll walnut size bits of the mixture between your palms
• put some flour in a wine glass
• drop a little ball into it and swing it around until all coated
• place the little balls on greaseproof paper and keep there until needed

• in a large saucepan, bring some salted water to a gentle boil
• drop in a third of the ‘nudi’ and as soon as they float to the surface

• pick them up with a slotted spoon and lay them on a warm plate

• in a frypan fry the sage in the butter
•  when all the ‘nudi” are laid out on a serving dish
• pour over the hot butter and sage and serve with extra parmigiano