Match of the week

Spinach and ricotta gnudi and Pecorino

Posted by Fiona Beckett (Google+) on April 2 2018 at 12:32

“Tender little dumplings, as fragile as a pasta filling” is how Diana Henry describes gnudi in her fabulous new book How to Eat a Peach. (The word, which is pronounced new-dee means naked)

They were the first course (after salami and radishes) of a wonderful menu at Sardine to celebrate the launch of the book which comes out this week - although you may be lucky enough to find a copy already in a book shop.

Given how light and airy they were it wouldn’t have been appropriate to pair them with too full-bodied a wine or too sweet a one which is where Italian whites come into their own, seamlessly fitting in with almost anything you throw at them in the first half of the meal. This one was a crisp, fresh organic pecorino - yes, same name as the cheese - called La Merlettaie from a producer, Ciu Ciu, in the Marche region and was a great match.

What I love about Diana’s books is the way she puts flavours together but here she’s taken that one stage further and constructed a series of menus that hang together perfectly too. (It’s a real art - not just about balancing tastes and textures but about practicability so that you’re not left with everything to do at the last moment.)

I made another recipe from the book this weekend - the rhubarb, marmalade and rosemary cake from the 'lunch to soothe' menu, which looked beautiful and was just delicious.

PS If you’re on our mailing list you’ll get a chance to win a copy this month!

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