Ricotta Dumplings With Buttered Peas And Asparagus Recipes

PASTA WITH SUGAR SNAP PEAS, ASPARAGUS, RICOTTA AND BROWN BUTTER

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta, and cook until al dente, about 12 minutes.
• Heat oil in medium sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook, stirring, until softened and slightly brown, 7 to 10 minutes.
• Add snap peas, asparagus and lemon juice, and cook, stir for 1 minute. Using a slotted spoon, transfer pasta to sauté pan, and add 1/2 cup of pasta cooking water to pan.
• Continue to cook, stirring constantly, until water is almost absorbed and peas and asparagus are bright green but tender, about 4 minutes.
• Season with salt and pepper.
• Heat butter in small pan over high heat, swirling as butter begins to change colour. As soon as butter browns, about 4 minutes, remove from heat.
• Stir mint and lemon zest into pasta and divide pasta among four bowls.
• Top each bowl with 1- 1/2 tablespoons ricotta, 1/4 of the hazelnuts, and drizzle with 1 tablespoon brown butter.

RICOTTA DUMPLINGS

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, using a fork, mix the cheese, egg and yolk, mint, lemon zest, and nutmeg. Add the flour and stir with the fork until a dough is formed.
• Using two slightly wet spoons or a piping bag, form dumplings (see Notes) and place on a lightly floured baking sheet. After all the dumplings are formed, lightly dust their tops with flour and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 2 hours or up to 6 hours.
• Cook the blue berries, sugar, butter, lemon zest, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until thick and bubbly. Set aside to cool slightly. Remove the cinnamon stick.
• When ready to cook the dumplings, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Working in batches, gently place the dumplings in the boiling water and cook until they float to the surface, about 3 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to a clean dish towel to drain.
• Serve the dumplings in a pool of warm blueberry compote.
• Place the ricotta in a colander lined with cheesecloth or a coffee filter and let the excess watery whey drip into a bowl underneath for at least 2 hours in the refrigerator.
• To form the dumplings with dinner spoons, scoop up some of the ricotta mixture with one spoon, and using a second spoon, scrape it onto the floured sheet. To pipe them, use a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch plain tip to pipe out 2-inch-long dumplings.
• Use a linen dish towel that won't get strings or lint on the dumplings.
• This compote is also awfully good made with stone fruits.

RICOTTA DUMPLINGS WITH BUTTERED PEAS AND ASPARAGUS

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
• Combine ricotta and eggs in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper and, using a large wooden or metal spoon, gently mix in the flour, taking care not to overmix (which could result in tough dumplings).
• Meanwhile, heat butter and 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add leeks and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until leeks have softened completely and are starting to pick up some color, 5 to 8 minutes.
• Add asparagus and peas to the skillet and season with salt and pepper. Cook, tossing occasionally, until asparagus is just tender and bright green, 2 to 4 minutes, depending on its thickness. Remove from heat while you cook the dumplings.
• When the water is at a nice steady boil, drop the ricotta mixture into the pot by the heaping spoonful. (The dumplings will expand in the water, so make them slightly smaller than you'd like them to end up.) Be careful not to crowd the pot; cook the dumplings in batches if need be.
• Once the dumplings rise to the top, let them boil until cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes. (You can always pull one out and cut it in half to test its doneness; the texture will go from dense and doughy to light and pillowy.)
• As the dumplings finish cooking, use a slotted spoon to transfer them to the skillet with the peas and asparagus. Once they're all in there, give everything a quick toss over medium heat just to evenly coat the dumplings in the buttery sauce. Add pea shoots and toss just to wilt slightly.
• Transfer to a large serving bowl or platter and top with parsley, cheese and more olive oil, if you like.