Ricotta Cheese Dumplings

(adapted from Mark Bittman)

When the latest Minimalist column boasted homemade "ricotta gnocchi" without any pre-cooking or dough-rolling, I thought back to my own failed attempt at potato gnocchi, and was hooked. He was right - these are much, much easier than their potato cousin.

Now, I don't know that they satisfy the seemingly-constant true gnocchi craving that plagues me - the best way to describe them is more like ravioli without the pasta covering (hence the modified name) - but they were different, rich, and tasty. And really pretty simple.

I was just cooking for myself, so the recipe below made way too much for just me, and they don't keep well. The below should make about four servings; adjust accordingly. Bittman made them with a sage brown butter sauce, which I bet is fantastic; I opted for a simple tomato sauce (two diced Roma tomatoes, 1-2 tbsp of olive oil, 1/2 tbsp of butter, and basil flakes, salt, and pepper to taste, sauteed until the sauce breaks down). What will you try them with?

You'll need:
Salt to taste
One 15-ounce container ricotta cheese (nonfat is fine, I promise)
2 eggs, beaten
1 1/4 cups freshly grated parmesan
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
3/4 to 1 cup flour

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Combine the ricotta, eggs and parmesan in a large bowl, along with some salt and pepper. Add about 1/2 cup flour and stir; add more flour until the mixture forms a very sticky dough. Scoop up a spoonful of dough and boil it to make sure it will hold its shape; if it does not, stir in a bit more flour. (They will come apart a little; I think that's OK.)

Drop the ricotta mixture by the rounded tablespoon into the boiling water, working in batches so as not to overload the pot.

When the dumplings rise to the surface, give them a couple minutes, then remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. When you have enough, top with the sauce of your choosing and serve!

Gnocchi with Lemon and Asparagus

(adapted from "Italian Country Cooking" by Loukie Werle)

Yes! I was really happy with this dish - particularly since it didn't get off to such a great start. It called for homemade breadcrumbs (almost broke my food processor on that one), my store-bought breadcrumbs were, well, just a little old, and I wasn't sure how it was going to work with gnocchi rather than spaghetti. Turns out the answer is: pretty dang good! In fact, I'm fighting the urge to eat my tomorrow's-lunch-portion right now.

So, to continue the carb fest:

1/2 bunch asparagus, bottoms snapped off and cut into 2-inch pieces
3/4 lb gnocchi
1/4 cup olive oil...maybe less
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1-2 tbsp or so chopped parsley
Freshly-squeezed juice of 1/2 lemon
Grated cheese (parmesan or romano) for serving

Bring a pot of water to a boil, salt it lightly, then add the asparagus. Cook until it's bright green, about 3 minutes, then drain and run under cold water (this apparently preserves the color).

In a saucepan, combine the oil, garlic, and parsley over medium heat, and let it get fragrant - about 2 minutes. Then add the asparagus and stir until it's coated with the olive oil. Since the gnocchi cooks really fast, you can add them back into the water you boiled the asparagus in at the same time you add the asparagus to the olive oil. You may want to turn the heat down on the asparagus a bit, and you can add a squirt of lemon, if you want.

When the gnocchi is done, drain it and add right to the pan with the asparagus, keeping the heat on low. Add the lemon juice and toss for about a minute.

Serve with breadcr- grated cheese!