Author Notes: This is my definition of comfort food – soft, lush, doughy dumplings, bobbing along in tomato sauce that has been known to make people weepy.
Super simply thrown together, but you have to be a wee bit patient for the sauce.
The sauce recipe is based on Smitten Kitchen’s version, which is based on Marcella Hazan’s original although changed in method & al ingredients slightly, but the dumplings are all me, baby. Together this makes one heck of a stovetop side dish, me thinks! —thefood
Serves: 6 as a side
Ingredients
For the sauce
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1
28 ounce can whole peeled tomatoes
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1/2
stick of butter
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1
medium white or yellow onion, pelled & cut in half
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salt and pepper to taste
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1/4
cup hot water
For the dumplings
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1/2
cup ricotta cheese (part skim is fine)
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1/4
cup parmesan, asiago, or pecorrino
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1
egg white
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1
teaspoon lemon rind
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1/2
teaspoon salt
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1
teaspoon freshly ground pepper
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2/3
cup all purpose flour
Directions
- Add tomatoes (with juice) butter and onion halves to a deep dutch oven or pot and bring to a simmer over medium heat.
- Reduce heat to low, and allow sauce to simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally, smushing the tomatoes on the bottom or sides of the pot.
- White sauce is simmering, make dumplings by adding first 6 ingredients and mixing to combine well. Add flour and stir until just combined. Set aside until sauce is ready.
- Once sauce has simmered for 45 minutes or so, remove from heat, discard onion, add hot water, and blend with immersion blender until smooth. Season with salt if required.
- Place pot back onto medium-low heat and bring back to a simmer, and drop dumpling mixture in by the teaspoon full (a tiny cookie scooper or mellon baller works well!) and cook untill all dumpling float to the top (about 2 minutes or so) Serve immedietely, topped with additional grated parmesan if you wish.