- 4
Ingredients
- 2 cups whole milk ricotta
- 2 large eggs
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 3/4 cup all purpose flour
- 4 T unsalted butter
- 2 T olive oil
- 1 large leek, white and light green parts only, thinly sliced
- 1 bunch asparagus, woody ends removed, cut in 2 inch pieces
- 2 cups peas
- 3 cups pea shoots or leaves, thick stems removed
- Parmesan or Pecorino, for serving
Preparation
Step 1
Bring a large pot of salted water to boil.
Combine ricotta and eggs in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper and using a large wooden spoon, gently mix in the flour, taking care not to overmix (could result in tough dumplings).
Meanwhile, heat butter and 2 T olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add leeks, season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until leeks have softened completely and are starting to pick up some color, about 5 to 8 minutes.
Add asparagus and peas to the skillet and season again. Cook, tossing occasionally, until asparagus is just tender and bright, 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 want them to be. Be careful not to crowd the pot. Cook the dumplings in batches, if necessary. Once the dumplings rise to the top, let them cook through, 4 to 5 minutes. The texture will go from dense and doughy to light and pillowy.
As the dumplings finish cooking, use a slotted spoon to remove them from the water and transfer them to the skillet. Once they are all in, give everything a quick toss over medium high heat to evenly coat the dumplings in the sauce. Add pea shoots to mix just to wilt slightly.
Transfer to a serving bowl and top with cheese.