April Bloomfield's Ricotta Gnudi

Much to April Bloomfield's chagrin, the Ricotta Gnudi are never coming off the menu at The Spotted Pig. Sure they might be temperamental to make and each batch different from the last, but these little poufs of ricotta and parmesan coated in semolina and finished with sage butter are worth the hassle, at least on the diner's end.

In A Girl and Her Pig, Bloomfield promises that although the gnudi are a pain to have on menu at the restaurant, they're ideal for cooking at home. The success of this recipe is contingent on letting the gnudi sit in the fridge for a solid three days, making sure that they end up dry enough to boil without running the risk of soggy, fallen apart gnudi. And when they work, man, are they good. Think ethereal balls of of creamy ricotta simmered in butter and drizzled with more butter and crisp leaves of fried sage.

What Worked: Starting a recipe three days in advance is going to require some planning, but it's worth it for these out of this world gnudi. Just make sure to read the direction well before beginning the process.

What Didn't: Cooking times must be heeded in this recipe. Go over by just a few seconds and you run the risk of the gnudi falling apart.

Suggested Tweaks: For a springier sauce, try subbing in pesto for the sage butter.