Gnudi e Funghi

Gnudi is a dumpling made of ricotta cheese similar to gnocchi.  It doesn't have the denseness of potato gnocchi.  It is lighter in both texture and flavor.  Think of the filling in ravioli.  And just like the filling in ravioli, you can add ingredients to the ricotta like greens or herbs.  

I made this gnudi with simple basic ingredients.  But instead of using regular flour, I used garbanzo or chickpea flour.   I wanted to keep this dish not only vegetarian but gluten-free.  I get more and more requests from clients for gluten-free dishes so I try to incorporate alternatives when I can.  I chose chickpea flour because it gives a slightly nutty flavor that pairs perfectly with the mushrooms.  

Ingredients
16oz. ricotta cheese (whole or part-skim), drained
1 egg 
1 egg yolk
1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese, grated
3/4 cup chick pea flour, divided
1 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon of pepper
1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg, ground
Dried mushrooms, approximately 2 cups when hydrated
2 cups of fresh mushrooms
2 Tablespoons of olive oil
2 Tablespoons of butter
2 cloves of garlic
4-6 fresh sage leaves
1/4 cup Marsala or Italian White Wine

Mushrooms 
I like to use a combination of fresh and dried mushrooms.  You can find dried mushrooms in most grocery stores.  I am lucky that there are several varieties of them in my grocery stores. I picked a mix of wild mushrooms this time.  Rehydrating them is easy.  Just place them in a bowl, pour boiling water over them and cover.  In about an hour, they will have rehydrated and ready to use.  The only thing you don't want to do when using dried mushrooms is to pour them into a strainer when they have hydrated.  You want to scoop out the mushrooms trying not to pull the excess water up.  The residual water may be gritty and you don't want that on your mushrooms.  That's not to say you can use that "mushroom broth", just pour it through a strainer or coffee filter once you have removed the mushrooms.

In a bowl combine the drained ricotta, egg, and yolk, Parmesan, 1/2 cup of the chickpea flour, salt and pepper, and nutmeg.  Using a tablespoon or small scoop, form the mixture into balls.  Spread the remaining 1/4 cup of garbanzo bean flour on a plate and roll the gnudi balls in it.  Place the gnudi in the refrigerator uncovered overnight.  Chilling the gnudi will cause a sort of coating or skin to form on the outside that will hold it together when cooking.

The next day, bring a pot with a several inches of water, to a light boil.  A high boil will break apart the gnudi.  Gently place the gundi in the water, a few at a time.  They are done when they float to the top (approximately 3-4 minutes).  Remove them with a slotted spoon and set them aside.

Heat the olive oil and the butter in a large saute pan over medium-high heat.  When hot, place the garlic cloves and sage leaves in and fry.  The garlic and sage are flavoring the oil. When the garlic is golden brown and the sage starts too crisp, add the sliced mushrooms to the pan and cook until tender.   Finally, add the wine to deglaze the pan and flavor the mushrooms.  Once the wine has evaporated, remove the mushrooms from the pan.  

You could just combine the gnudi and the mushrooms at this point, but I like to give the gnudi a bit of a pan fry first.  In the same pan you used for the mushrooms, add a little more olive oil and pan-fry the gnudi until slightly brown.  

To finish off this dish, chop the crisp sage leaves and garlic up and add them to the mushroom mixture, taste for seasoning, and top with the gnudi.  

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