Gnudi with wild field herbs on a baking tray

Gnudi with Pomarola: Tuscany on the plate

04/30/2026

Today, together with Cesarina Sonia from Montecarlo in the province of Lucca, we present a dish from the rural tradition, the kind passed down without written recipes and perfected taste after taste: gnudi with pomarola.

The name says it all. Gnudi are “naked” because they are stripped of the pasta that would normally wrap them. What remains is the soul of the filling, made with sheep’s milk ricotta, aged Parmigiano, and wild herbs. And it is precisely the wild herbs offered by the land according to the season that make the difference, because their wild and slightly bitter note gives the dish its unmistakable and characteristic flavor.

To complete the dish, pomarola. There is nothing better than a good homemade tomato sauce, slowly cooked, to dress the gnudi without covering their delicate flavor. If you don’t know how to prepare tomato sauce, no problem: in this article you will find all the instructions to make a perfect tomato sauce!

Gnudi with wild field herbs in pomarola sauce

Gnudi with pomarola

The “naked” gnocchi of Tuscan rural tradition with soft ricotta and the fragrance of wild herbs

Preparation time2h

Servings6

€

CostLow

Ingredients

500 g wild greens (boiled and squeezed dry)
800 g fresh sheep’s milk ricotta
Salt to taste
Black pepper to taste
5 tablespoons grated Parmigiano Reggiano (optional, for an extra creamy touch)

Method

Finely chop the wild greens with a knife and transfer them to a large bowl.
Add the ricotta, salt, pepper, and the 5 tablespoons of grated Parmigiano.
Mix well: if the mixture is too soft, add 3–4 tablespoons of flour.
Form balls the size of a walnut with lightly floured hands.
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the gnudi: as soon as they float to the surface, remove them with a slotted spoon.
Gently dress them with hot tomato sauce and a few fresh basil leaves.
Serve with a final sprinkle of Parmigiano Reggiano.