These Spinach and Ricotta Gnudi with Brown Butter are light as air, so flavorful, and perfect for a special occassion. They're simple, delicious, and we're so in love with them!
Line a sieve with two layers of paper towels. Add milk and heavy cream to a heavy-bottomed pot. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Add lemon juice and use a wooden spoon to continuously stir the mixture until it curdles, it should take about two minutes. Pour mixture into paper towel-lined sieve. Let drain for at least 30 minutes.
Add spinach to a small dry skillet, turn the heat on medium and heat until spinach begins to wilt, about 30 seconds to one minute. Cool completely.
Add ricotta, spinach, egg, egg yolk, salt, cheese and nutmeg to a medium bowl. Use a spatula to combine everything. Sprinkle flour on top and gently fold flour in. DO NOT OVER MIX!
Pour semolina flour on to a small, rimmed baking sheet or shallow bowl. Use a small cookie scoop to form gnudi into balls and then transfer to semolina. Gently coat the entire ball in flour.
Once all gundi are formed, place in fridge to chill while water comes to a boil. Add water to a large pot and bring to a rapid boil.
Working in batches, add gundi to boiling water. Cook for 4 minutes. Do not overcrowd the pan, I did it in three batches. Once each batch is done, use a slotted spoon to gently scoop each one out. Transfer to a large plate or platter while the rest finish cooking, and you make the sauce.
To make the sauce. Add butter to a large skillet. Heat over medium-high until it melts and starts to brown around the edges. Swirl the pan until the butter turns a deep brown and smells nutty. Turn the heat off and let cool slightly.
Once all the gnudi are cooked, put the pan with the butter back on the stove and add 1/4 cup of the starchy cooking liquid to the butter. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute to form sauce. Season with salt. Reduce the heat to low and add the gnudi to the pan. Spoon the sauce on top.
Transfer to servings dishes and garnish with grated parmesan cheese.