Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Twice as good: Ricotta Polpette prepared 2 ways
When a photo of this recipe from The
New York Times popped up in my Facebook feed last week, I knew I had to try it. Husband Joe and I are huge fans of gnudi — the ricotta-based cousin of gnocchi — and these little dumplings sounded quite similar, but are far faster to make because they don’t require an overnight chill in the fridge.
The ingredients list is long, but the recipe isn’t complicated. Ricotta cheese is mixed with breadcrumbs, egg, parmesan cheese and seasoning and then shaped into little balls and cooked in simmering tomato sauce. The dumplings can be pan-fried as well. The simmered dumplings are remarkably tender and take on a bit of the tomato flavor while the pan-fried dumplings have a pleasing contrast in textures and added flavor from the browning process. Both methods produce absolutely delicious dumplings and neither of us could choose one over the other.
I made a few minor modifications to the Times’ recipe to adjust for what I had on hand and halved the recipe for my household of two. To streamline it, you could substitute 5 cups jarred pasta sauce rather than making the sauce from scratch — I won’t judge — but I think homemade sauce tastes better and you’ll save a little money (assuming you don’t need to buy basil or olive oil). We had quite a bit of sauce left over that I tossed with pasta the next day.
One reason we had so much sauce left over is because I made two sauces, the tomato sauce in the original recipe and a Joe-friendly alfredo sauce. Both — separately and mixed together — were excellent with these little ricotta dumplings.
The recipe has earned a spot in our favorites rotation.
Ricotta Polpette in Tomato Sauce
For the ricotta polpette:
1 (16-ounce) container whole-milk ricotta cheese (blot away any excess moisture with a paper towel)
1 ¼ cups seasoned breadcrumbs, plus more as needed (see note)
2 tablespoons finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano OR Romano cheese, plus more for serving
1 ½ teaspoons chopped fresh parsley, plus more for serving
¾ teaspoon fine salt (a little more if using coarse salt)
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 egg
For the sauce:
Handful fresh basil leaves, divided use
¼ cup olive oil
1 fat clove garlic, peeled and lightly smashed
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes OR whole tomatoes, pureed with their liquid
1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
1 tablespoon tomato paste
¾ teaspoon fine salt (a little more if using coarse salt)
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
In a large bowl, combine the ricotta, breadcrumbs, parmesan, parsley, salt and pepper. Mix lightly; taste a small portion and season with additional salt, pepper or cheese, if needed. Add the egg and mix well with your hands. (The mixture will be malleable, but it shouldn’t be sticky. If it is very sticky, stir in a tablespoon or so additional breadcrumbs.) Pinch off walnut-size portions (about 1 ounce) and roll them into balls between your palms.
Place each polpette (ricotta ball) on a baking sheet or a couple of plates and repeat with the remaining mixture, making about 24 balls. Let the balls rest while you prepare the sauce.
Prepare the sauce: Tear 2 to 3 of the basil leaves in half. Combine the torn basil, olive oil, garlic and red-pepper flakes (if using) in a small saucepan and cook over low heat for 10 minutes, swirling or stirring occasionally. (Do not let the garlic get beyond medium brown in color.) Remove from the heat, strain the oil into a Dutch oven or wide, deep skillet.
To the pan with the oil, add the crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, salt and pepper and 1 cup water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to a simmer for about 15 minutes.
Carefully drop the polpette into the simmering sauce. (The top of each polpette was barely exposed in my pan.) Do not stir, as the balls will break apart. Cover the pot with a lid and cook, undisturbed, for
3 to 4 minutes. Remove lid, carefully turn each polpette over, return lid and continue simmering for 10 minutes or until polpette are firm and cooked through.
Chop the remaining basil and sprinkle on top, and garnish with more grated cheese.
Makes about 24 dumplings and 5 cups of sauce.
Note: The Times calls for seasoned Italian breadcrumbs. I used plain breadcrumbs and added ½ teaspoon dried basil, ½ teaspoon dried oregano and a pinch crushed red pepper flakes Recipe adapted from The New York Times
Alfredo Sauce
2 cups heavy cream
½ cup (1 stick) butter
¾ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (I use a rasp-style grater for quick melting fluffy strands)
1 teaspoon garlic powder, or to taste
Ground black or white pepper, to taste
Pinch freshly grated nutmeg, optional
In a saucepan over mediumlow heat, combine heavy cream and butter; cook until butter is melted, stirring frequently. Slowly whisk in the parmesan cheese and garlic powder. Bring to a simmer and cook over low heat, stirring frequently, for 15 to 20 minutes. Season to taste with ground black pepper and a pinch of nutmeg.
Makes about 2 ½ cups.