Ricotta Dumplings with Asparagus

All around, the valley is erupting in the pleasant sights and sounds of spring. The hills have awakened with bright green sprouts, and daffodils bursting in sunny hues, keep things cheerful even on rainy days. Across town, dusk and dawn are marked each day by the trees coming alive with a melody of busy chirps and coos. While the first early shoots and tender herbs are starting to come up in our kitchen garden. Inspired by this verdant beauty pushing forward, I began my annual search for new recipe ideas to highlight one of my favorite flavors of the season, asparagus. Here, tender dumplings made from ricotta are tossed with asparagus, sweet peas, and an herbed butter sauce. A lovely way to celebrate the season on your plate.

Ingredients:

2 cups whole-milk ricotta

2 large eggs

Salt and fresh ground black pepper

¾ cup all-purpose flour

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for serving

1 large leek, white and pale green parts, thinly sliced

2 to 3 cloves garlic, sliced

1 bunch asparagus, woody ends trimmed, cut into 2-inch pieces

2 cups shelled fresh or frozen peas

3 cups arugula or baby spinach

¼ cup fresh mint leaves, torn

Zest of 1 lemon, finely grated

¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped

Parmesan or pecorino, shaved, for serving

Directions:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the ricotta and eggs, mixing with a wooden spoon. Season with salt and pepper, then gently mix in the flour. Be careful not to overmix the dough, which should resemble a wet biscuit dough. Add a little more flour, a tablespoon at a time if needed, until dough just stays together.

As you wait for the water to boil, melt the butter with the olive oil in a large high-sided skillet over medium-high heat. Add the leeks, seasoning with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the leeks are softened and just starting to lightly golden, about 5 to 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Next, add the asparagus and the peas to the skillet, seasoning with salt and pepper. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the asparagus is just tender and bright green, about 3 to 5 minutes, depending on the thickness. Remove pan from the heat and set aside while you cook the dumplings.

When the water reaches a steady boil, drop the ricotta mixture into the pot by heaping spoonful. The dumplings will expand when cooking, so make them a little smaller than you would like them to end up. You don't want to crowd the pot, so cook the dumplings in batches. Once the dumplings float to the surface, let them continue to cook for about 5 minutes until done. Pull one out and cut in half to test the texture; they will go from dense and firm to light and pillowy when fully cooked.

As the dumplings finish cooking, use a slotted spoon to transfer to the skillet with the asparagus and peas. Once all the dumplings are cooked and in the skillet with the asparagus, add the arugula and mint, then return pan to medium-high heat. Gently toss the dumplings into the buttery sauce, being careful not to break them, and cook until heated through and the greens are wilted. Add more olive oil if needed to coat everything. Finish by mixing in the parsley and tasting for seasoning, adding more salt and pepper as needed. Top with the parmesan shavings and serve immediately.

Notes:

If you can't find leeks, you could substitute them with green onions or shallots. Later in the spring you could replace the arugula with pea shoots, (if you can find them), or try other tender spring greens.

Once you master making these tender ricotta dumplings, there are endless ways to make different seasonal variations of this dish. In the summer try them with blistered corn and cherry tomatoes or try pan roasted mushrooms or squash in the fall and winter months.

This can make a lovely vegetarian entrée or serve it as a side dish to a roasted chicken or grilled pork chops. Enjoy!