RICOTTA AND SPINACH DUMPLINGS
PG tested
It’s important to remove the excess moisture from both the spinach and ricotta while making the dumplings. Canned cherry tomatoes are sold at Pennsylvania Macaroni in the Strip District.
For dumpling
14 ounces fresh spinach, rinsed 1 cup ricotta 2 eggs ¾ cup fine semolina, plus extra for coating
⅔ cup grated Parmesan, plus extra for serving
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Freshly grated nutmeg
For sauce
2 tablespoons olive oil 2 garlic cloves, chopped Splash of dry white wine, optional
2 ( 14 ounce) cans peeled cherry tomatoes 1 teaspoon sugar 2 pinches red pepper flakes Salt and pepper to taste Sprinkle of lemon zest Generous handful of fresh basil leaves, divided
Place spinach in large saucepan and cook, covered, over medium heat until just wilted. Strain in colander, pressing out excess moisture. Set aside. Once cooled, chop spinach finely, squeezing out moisture again.
Place ricotta in a clean kitchen cloth in a sieve strainer over a bowl to drain off any excess moisture.
Transfer ricotta to a large bowl and break it up with a fork. Mix in spinach. Add eggs, semolina and Parmesan. Mix well. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Mix well again.
Sprinkle semolina on a large plate. Take a tablespoon of ricotta mixture and shape into a ball. Lightly coat with semolina. Repeat until all the ricotta is shaped into dumplings.
For sauce, heat olive oil in a pan. Add garlic, and saute until it browns slightly. Add white wine, if using, and cook until it evaporates. Add tomatoes, sugar, red pepper flakes, salt and lemon zest. Roughly tear basil, reserving a few leaves, and mix in.
Cook, uncovered for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens. Tear remaining basil and add to sauce.
Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Drop dumplings in water, few at a time, and cook until they float to the surface, about 2 to 3 minutes.
Remove dumplings with slotted spoon, drain and place on a paper-lined plate.
Serve poached dumplings with tomato sauce.
Serves 4.