Tonight's Dinner: Gnudi in a brown butter sage sauce recipe

Ravioli is that wonderful pasta with the surprise inside. They're filled with everything from a variety of cheeses to vegetables or even meat. But what if you just want the filling without the heavy pasta shell? These gnudi are the way.

Ravioli filling without the pasta shell

Ravioli and tortellini are two of my favorite pastas. Not only do I get the delicious pasta shell smothered in a scrumptious sauce, but I get the added delight of an extra burst of flavor from the filling hiding inside. The only problem with these little pillows of pleasure is that they can be very heavy. But recently Michael Symon showed me a way to have that delightful filling without the heavy pasta shell. They're called gnudi and since I'm such a huge fan of cheese-filled pastas, I knew they were for me. They were rich and creamy and unlike any pasta I'd ever had.

While they didn't look as nice as Chef Symon's because I only chilled them for 30 minutes instead of two hours, the flavor was still out of this world. They were so good in fact and so incredibly easy to make, i can't wait to make (and eat) them again. Only this time, I'll make sure to chill the raw pasta for the correct amount of time.

Gnudi in a brown butter sage sauce

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 1-1/2 cups ricotta cheese
• 1 cup Grana Padano cheese, grated
• 2 whole eggs
• 1 egg yolk
• 2 garlic cloves, finely grated
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup flour
• 4 cups corn meal
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/2 cup sage leaves

Directions:

1. Whisk together the ricotta, Grana Padano, eggs, egg yolk, garlic, salt, pepper and flour in a large mixing bowl until well combined.
2. Spread the corn meal out in a large pan. Place spoonfuls of the ricotta mixture into the corn meal and roll so each ricotta ball is completely covered with the cornmeal. Chill for at least two hours.
3. Boil a large pot of salted water over medium-high heat. Once boiling, drop in each of the gnudi and cook for three to five minutes or until they float to the top.
4. While the gnudi cook, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once the butter begins to brown, add the sage leaves and sauté for about one minute.
5. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the floating gnudi to the skillet with the brown butter sauce and toss to coat. Serve immediately.

More Tonight's Dinner recipes >>

Other brown butter recipes

Brown butter, lemon and caper sauce
Pecan brown butter
Ravioli with green beans and brown butter sauce