Gnudi with Guanciale, Broadbeans and Pecorino Photo: Lola Berry
Tobie Puttock's Gnudi with Guanciale, Broadbeans and Pecorino
Serves four
INGREDIENTS:
- 350g fresh ricotta
- 1 free-range egg
- 60g freshly grated pecorino cheese
- 1/3 cup of plain flour
- 2 handfuls of broad beans, blanched and podded
- 12 slices of guanciale cut into match sticks
- 80g butter
- 8 mint leaves
- Small handful flat leaf parsley leaves, washed, dried and finely chopped
- Extra pecorino for grating
- Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper
- Best quality balsamic
METHOD:
Pop the ricotta into a sieve lined with kitchen paper sitting over a large bowl and allow to sit in the fridge for about an hour or so to remove excess moisture.
Place the ricotta into a large mix bowl and fold in the egg, pecorino, nutmeg, and half the flour. Use a wooden spoon to mix all the ingredients together and then season with salt to taste. Cover and place into the fridge for around 30 mins to allow to harden.
Remove the ricotta mixture from the fridge and dust a clean bench with a little bit of the leftover flour. Take a handful of the ricotta mixture and roll it out into a sausage shape around the size of a ten-cent piece, repeat for the remainder of the mixture and then cut each roll into 2cm lengths to form little pillows. Repeat for the rest of the mixture.
Bring a large pot filled with water to the boil with a good pinch of salt.
In a large non-stick pan cook the guanciale over a medium heat to render the fat down a little, once the guanciale becomes crispy remove it from the pan with a slotted spoon and transfer to kitchen paper to drain. If there is a lot of fat remaining in the pan drain it off.
Dip the gnudi into the remaining flour and then shake them off well to remove any excess flour.
Gently drop the gnudi into the boiling water and cook until they rise to the surface.
Remove them with a slotted spoon and transfer to a sieve to dry a little. Drizzle a small amount of olive oil over them to stop them sticking together.
Melt the butter in the pan over a medium heat, add the gnudi and gently shake the pan around to toast the gnudi, use a small spatula to flip the gnudi as they become golden. As the butter becomes golden on color reduce the heat of the pan.
Add two tablespoons of pasta water to the pan; add the broad beans, mint, crispy guanciale and some cracked pepper.
Serve immediately with grated pecorino and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar
