Cassatelle with Brodo (Ricotta dumplings in Broth)
Today’s recipe comes from the town of Trapani, Sicily, and combines rather simple flavors and techniques for another tasty dish, Cassatelle a Spiga. This dish features dumplings filled with sweetened ricotta that are lightly poached in some form of stock, and while fish stock is the classic way to go, I’ll be doing mine in chicken stock that will be laced with some tomato and sausages, although it’s fine if you just want to poach the dumplings in chicken stock.
Let’s do it!
Serves 6 (makes 18 pieces)
Difficulty: Intermediate
Total time: 3 hours
For the Stock:
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, sliced
Salt
4 large ripe tomatoes, chopped. (Or a 14 ounce can of cherry tomatoes)
2 tablespoons roughly chopped parsley
4 cups chicken stock or water
6-8 good quality sausages
For the Garlic Pesto:
1/2 oz almonds
3 medium garlic cloves, chopped with a generous pinch of salt
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
For the Filling:
1 pound whole milk ricotta cheese
Grated zest of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon sugar
For the Pasta:
7oz semolina flour
3 fluid ounces water
Step 1: Make the Stock
Heat the oil in a stock pot or large saucepan with the onion over medium heat. Add a pinch of salt and cook until the onions become translucent, about 5 minutes.
Add the tomatoes and their juice plus the parsley, then fry gently for about 3 minutes, or until the tomatoes soften, then add the chicken stock/water. Bring to a simmer, then let it go for about 10 minutes.
Step 2: Make the garlic pesto and finish the stock
Bash up the almonds and garlic in either a mortar and pestle or mini food processor until they’ve broken down into a paste. Slowly stream in the olive oil, adding too much at once won’t allow it to emulsify.
Add the pesto to the stock along with the sausages, and if the sausages aren’t fully submerged then add a bit of water.
then let everything simmer together for about 20-30 minutes, or until all of the flavors get to know each other. Strain the stock, then keep it warm while you make the ricotta dumplings.
(Want to make ahead? When covered, this stock will keep in the fridge for about 24 hours or can be kept in the freezer for up to 1 month.
Also, with the sausages, you can either eat them as they are, lightly fry them up in a pan, or slice and serve in the stock with the dumplings.)
Step 3: Make the Filling
If your ricotta seems a bit watery, then you may need to put it into a sieve and let it drain for an hour or two.
Combine the ricotta with the lemon zest and sugar, then refrigerate until you’re ready to make the dumplings.
Step 4: Make and roll out the Pasta
Combine the flour and water in a large bowl, you will need to squish it a bit to get it to from a solid ball of dough.
Ensure that all of the flour is moistened then knead on a clean board for about 2 minutes. If the dough seems a bit dry or crumbly at this stage, then wet your hands and continue kneading for another 8-10 minutes. What you’re looking for is a smooth, elastic texture.
It is crucial that you roll out the pasta as thin as you possibly can, and a pasta roller is very useful for this very task, but if you’re brave enough then you can certainly use a rolling pin. You’re aiming for an even 1mm thickness.
Use a 4-inch ring cutter, or inverted glass the same width, to cut the pasta sheets into rounds. If you have lots of bits leftover, then you can squish together and knead a bit until it’s just smooth enough before re-rolling, but not more than once because the more you work the dough, the chewier the dumplings will be.
Step 5: Assemble and Cook
Take each circle of dough and place a tablespoon of the ricotta filling in the center. With one hand, fold up the sides of the dough like you’d fold up a taco, then use your other hand to pinch the edges from one side to another, twisting one end so it has little chance of splitting open during cooking.
This technique requires a little bit of practice, so don’t beat yourself up if some of them don’t come out looking perfect. Also, some of the filling may leak out, that’s ok, just as long as there’s plenty inside the dumplings.
Finally, bring the strained stock back up to a simmer, then lower your dumplings inside. Cook until the dumplings just begin to float to the surface of the broth, then serve with plenty of that broth to swirl your dumplings into.
