recipe
Stinging nettle gnudi
Foraging is a wonderful way to engage with nature and the environment. You need to carefully hone your powers of observation to find edible plants in the wild.
Stinging nettle is my favourite weed by far. It has an incredible flavour and grows in abundance in the southern states in nutrient-dense soil. We have a couple of varieties of stinging nettle, but the one I use is Urtica urens. This variety is much fleshier and more flavourful than the type that tends to grow in Australia’s north (Urtica incisa). I look for areas around cattle in shady corners that aren’t directly exposed to sun. The darker, fleshier plants tend to have a better flavour and return a lot more for the work, which will become apparent once you start picking the leaves in quantity.
These little ricotta-based dumplings are effectively a ravioli filling without the pasta and a great way to use nettles. The dusting of flour becomes very important to hold them together, but they are supposed to be quite delicate, so do bear this in mind as you refine your technique. The biggest influence on the success of this recipe is the ricotta. Don’t be tempted to buy ricotta in a tub. The ricotta for this recipe must come from a basket, as any excess moisture will make these dumplings gluey from the flour.
The other foraged element used in this dish is what is known as wild onion, or three-cornered garlic. It’s a much more invasive weed than the nettle and has become more and more prolific in the past five years in regions where nettles grow. This plant is much harder to use in quantity than the nettle, but I still do like to use it, as the flavour is subtle and onion-like.
Be aware of the surroundings and growing environment when picking plants in the wild, and whether herbicide has been recently sprayed. Nettles will commonly grow around waste and stagnant water, so be careful to avoid any possible contamination.
Time: 1 hour preparation + 1 hour refrigeration + 30 minutes cooking
Serves 4
- 500g stinging nettle (Urtica urens)
- 100ml olive oil
- 1 clove garlic, whole
- 500g ricotta
- 4 egg yolks
- 180g flour
- salt, pepper and nutmeg to taste
- olive oil, for drizzling
- wild onion flowers
- pecorino
- Pick and wash the nettle leaves and use a salad spinner to dry them well.
- Place the leaves into a pot with the oil and garlic clove over a high heat and fry until all of the moisture has evaporated. Tip the leaves and oil into a bowl to cool.
- Place the ricotta into a mixing bowl with the egg yolks, flour, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Roughly chop one third of the cooked nettles and add to the ricotta mix. Mix this carefully using your hands so as to not activate the gluten in the flour too much. You want the mixture to stay light.
- Once everything is incorporated, take a generous spoonful of the mixture and roll it into a ball a little smaller than a golf ball, then gently roll that through some excess flour dusted on the bench. This forms a little skin that will help the gnudi to remain whole during the cooking process. Repeat until all the mixture is used and place the balls into the refrigerator for one hour to further set.
- Place the rest of the nettles and oil in an upright blender with 50 millilitres of water. Add some salt and blend on high to make a green sauce. Adjust the seasoning and set aside.
- Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil then drop in the gnudi in batches. Turn the heat down and let them cook very gently for three minutes. When done, carefully remove the gnudi with a slotted spoon and place on paper towel.
- To serve, spoon the nettle sauce onto serving plates and then place the gnudi on top. Drizzle some olive oil over the top and add some of the wild onion flowers. Top with finely grated pecorino or some other hard cheese.
This article was first published in the print edition of The Saturday Paper on October 25, 2025 as "Pot calling nettle".
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