Ricotta Dumplings or Ndundari con Salsa di Pomodoro e Basilico

I like to share (for share read brag about)my culinary exploits with my friends on Facebook. I often get comments along the lines of "Oooo where's my invite?!" and "Oh I want dinner at your house!". Of course you do. I am an excellent cook and a witty and amusing host but this is beside the point. I AM NOT COOKING FOR YOU, YOU LAZY BASTARDS. Cook your own damn dinners, better yet cook ME dinner. But with my recipes, I don't trust you people to be able to feed me adequately yet. As a kind and benevolent guest I will allow to use my recipes for your own evil ends. Go ahead take the credit amongst your family and peers, just don't blame me if you find yourself smote down by an angry and vengeful God (i.e Me.) Clara Lee you no longer have any excuse to have crisps for dinner, I am here to redeem you.



Ricotta Dumplings in Tomato and Basil Sauce (Ndundari con Salsa di Pomodoro e Basilico)
From; Two Greedy Italians BBC Books

I loved the Two Greedy Italians series. Two cute, old, Italian men pottering about Italy getting as enthusiastic about cheese as I do, arguing like an old married couple and generally making me seethe with jealousy over my own English nationality. So imagine my complete and sincere joy when The Husband bought me the series book as a crimbo present from The Boy. This is the 1st recipe I have cooked from the book and it was an instant success. Even The Boy, who on hearing the word "dumplings" decided they were Chinese and therefore inedible to him, devoured them all after being bribed into trying them. The Husband ate 3 portions and started eyeing up potential leftovers on my plate. Serve with chicken or fish, green beans or salad or just with some fresh crusty bread. Dish them up at a dinner party whilst pompously waxing lyrical about the beauty of "cucina povera" and the art of Tuscan cooking.


Ingredients:

Dumplings

200g Italian "00" flour (yes it has to be this flour, if you use normal plain flour the dumplings will be claggy and vile.)
250g tub of Ricotta
3 Egg Yolks (Large is best)
25g Parmesan (NOT the dry stuff from a tub you heathen!)
A pinch of nutmeg, freshly grated if possible.
Salt and Pepper to taste.

Sauce

Tin of Plum Tomatoes (stalk end cut off and roughly chopped)
A 25g bunch of Basil
6 tbsp of Olive Oil (or less and add a large knob of butter)
3 Garlic cloves sliced, not minced or chopped.

Method:

In a large bowl mix the flour, ricotta, egg yolks, Parmesan, nutmeg and a pinch of salt and pepper together to form a soft, moist dough. Place on a floured work surface and knead for 3-5 minutes. With your hands roll the dough into a long thin sausage shape and then cut into pieces about 2cm long. Put your dumplings to one side and bring a large saucepan of sated water to the boil. Meanwhile make the sauce.

Place the tomatoes in a bowl and cut off the tough stalk end and discard this. Then roughly chop the tomatoes, chop and add the basil and season with salt and pepper. Mix roughly together. Heat the olive oil (or oil and butter) in a large frying pan and add the garlic. When the garlic begins to change colour remove from the heat and add the tomato and basil mixture. Replace on the heat and cook gently for about 4 minutes, until the mixture is bubbling.

Now the water is at a boil add the dumplings. When they have all risen to the surface lower the heat and simmer for 2 minutes. Drain with a slotted spoon and add them to the tomato sauce, mix thoroughly and serve immediately with a sprinkle of Parmesan.

I served these dumplings with a griddled chicken breast wrapped in Prosciutto and green beans. My husband liked them so much that next time he wants them on their own with some fresh crusty bread to mop up the sauce :)