Ricotta Gnudi al Sugo (Ricotta Dumplings in Fresh Tomato Sauce)

Ricotta gnudi are a delicious meal for cheese lovers and vegetarians. Quick and simple cheese dumplings are great for a weeknight meal, and I bet you’ll have these on a regular dinner rotation in no time.

Living in Los Angeles, I occasionally see celebrities in their cars, at restaurants and just being normal human beings around town.

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. I received the can of San Marzano DOP tomatoes in order to help promote these canned tomatoes, which I truly believe are the best quality tomatoes you can buy. I was not paid in product or cash.

I rarely watch TV, and don’t really swoon over too many celebrities. (However, I do admit I was a bit starstruck when Ernest Borgnine struck up a conversation with me at a fabric store many years ago! 😎) I figure they’re just people like you and me, but I do often wonder how many of them actually do everyday things for themselves, like shopping or cooking.

Silvia’s Cucina

Well, I’ve discovered one beautiful actress/singer who not only knows her way around a kitchen, but knocks out sensational dishes and posts them on her site at Silvia’s Cucina.  Silvia’s site is a treasure trove of delights. Silvia Colloca is from Italy, and now lives in Australia, but I’m not going to talk to you about her celebrity status; I want to talk to you about her ricotta gnudi with fresh sugo!

Silvia posted a recipe for ricotta dumplings with fresh tomato sugo (gnudi al sugo) a few weeks ago, and after a few seconds of looking the photos of the dish, I was salivating! I knew I had to make them soon as they just looked fabulous!

My photos don’t even come close to her beautiful shots, but I can assure you, these ricotta dumplings were divine! (By the way, “sugo” in Italian means juice or sauce, but when used with pasta, etc., it’s interpreted as “tomato sauce”.)

What are Ricotta Dumplings or Ricotta Gnudi?

As you may have guessed, ricotta dumplings or ricotta gnudi are a sort of hand-shaped cheese gnocchi. However, gnocchi, and even ricotta gnocchi, have flour or potato in them (a starch), whereas these do not. This makes them perfect for gluten free and vegetarian diets.

Another ricotta recipe you may enjoy, Fettuccine with mushrooms and ricotta.

The dish was so simple to make, but I will advise you to plan ahead for this dish. The gnudi should be refrigerated for at least 2 hours before simmering in the sugo.

The sauce is the same quick sugo that I often make, so that was fast and easy. Once the sugo is simmering away, the pre-shaped ricotta dumplings are dropped into the pan. They only need to cook for a short time and are ready to serve!

Know that the ricotta gnudi are quite delicate. However, as you can see, they are not so delicate that they cannot be served intact, just be gentle. I put a lot less parsley in my dumplings as I have a certain family member who would have complained about an excess of green. Regardless, I would advise adding more parsley than I did–and don’t forget the fresh, crusty bread to mop up your plate afterwards!

Ricotta Gnudi al Sugo Fresco
(Ricotta Dumplings with Fresh Tomato Sauce)

slightly adapted from Silvia’s Cucina’s recipe         serves 4

FULL PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW