Have you ever heard of gnudi? Don’t worry I hadn’t either until a little while ago.  It’s kind of like the big brother of gnocchi (also pronounced with a silent “G”) and it’s delicious.  I saw a recipe for it in the Clean Eating magazine and at first I dismissed it as too time consuming to make.  Then I had a free Saturday and decided to see if I could tackle the gnudi.  I changed a few things, put my own spin on it and while it does take a little bit of time to put together, it isn’t as hard to make as I thought it would be.

I love the dumpling-like texture of this dish.  It’s filling but not too heavy especially topped with a fresh tomato sauce, plus it gets in all the good nutrients that come with spinach and butternut squash.

If you aren’t like me and don’t have 10 lbs of butternut squash in your freezer you can substitute canned butternut squash or pumpkin instead.  Also, make sure to leave enough time for the gnudi to rest in the refrigerator before you cook them or else they will fall apart in the hot water.

Onto the gnudi!

Butternut Spinach Gnudi- adapted from Clean Eating’s Ricotta, Spinach & Sweet Potato Gnudi

• 1 cup pureed butternut squash (or canned pumpkin)
• 6 tbsp aquafaba (liquid from a can of chickpeas)
• 1 cup cashew ricotta
• 2/3 cup almond meal
• 2 tsp oregano
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 cup chopped spinach (frozen or fresh, I used frozen and just made sure it was thawed)
• 4 1/2 cup brown rice flour
• 1 batch of my tomato sauce or your favorite store bought sauce (make sure to check the label!)

1. In a large bowl, whisk the 6 tbsp of aquafaba until it’s frothy.  Then whisk in the cashew ricotta, almond meal, and all the seasonings.
2. Once that is all well combined mix in the spinach and fold in the butternut squash.  Sprinkle in 1/2 cup of the brown rice flour and stir to combine.
3. Spread out 2 cups of the brown rice flour onto a large baking sheet.  Using your hands, form the butternut mix into medium sized balls, about the size of a golf ball.  Place the balls onto the baking sheet and repeat until all the mixture is used up.  Cover the balls with the remaining flour and place in the fridge for at least 4 hours.
4. Warm up your tomato sauce in a medium saucepan.  Once the balls have set, bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Working in batches of 4-5 balls, gently immerse them into the boiling water and cook until they float to the top.  Remove from the water and set aside until all the gnudi is cooked.
5. Plate a few of the gnudi and top with tomato sauce.  You can also sprinkle a little parmesan cheese or my vegan version.

Yes it looks like a lot and it looks like it will take forever and you wonder if I think you’re an Italian grandmother who has nothing to do but make gnudi.  Trust me you can do this and it isn’t that hard.  Plus you’ll be rewarded with a delicious healthy meal that will have everyone coming back for seconds.  So give it a try, you might just surprise yourself!

Happy Friday everyone!  I hope you have an awesome weekend!