Quick Recipe: Ricotta Dumplings with Chèvre & Herbs

Faith Durand
Faith DurandSVP of Content
Faith is the SVP of Content at Apartment Therapy Media and former Editor-in-Chief of The Kitchn. She is the author of three cookbooks, including the James Beard Award-winning The Kitchn Cookbook. She lives in Columbus, Ohio, with her husband and two daughters.
Follow
published May 4, 2011
Be the first to leave a review!
Ricotta Dumplings with Chèvre & Herbs

Serves2 to 4

Jump to Recipe
Jump to Recipe
We independently select these products—if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. All prices were accurate at the time of publishing.
Post Image
(Image credit: Faith Durand)

Last night I made one of my favorite dinner-in-a-flash recipes: Ricotta dumplings. This is a lightning-quick recipe, easy to mix up, and easy to make for a crowd, too. I tossed these pillowy, chewy little dumpling squares with a bit of butter, soft goat cheese, and herbs fresh from the garden. They were ready in 15 minutes!

(Image credit: Apartment Therapy)

This recipe is based on my earlier recipe for ricotta spaetzle. I love these so much; they are ready almost instantly. The only problem with spaetzle is that it is a very thin dough — a batter, really — and you need to stand over the simmering water and drop each dumpling into the water individually, pushing the batter off the tip of a spoon.

What if I added a little more flour, I wondered. What would that do? Could I pat these out, cut them, and make them even that much quicker?

The answer is yes, you can. I added more flour to this recipe, and a bit of extra salt, and the result is a small, chewy dumpling — not quite as light as the original ricotta spaetzle, but even faster and easier. I tossed them with goat cheese and herbs, and served them alongside hurriedly-seared smoked sausage.

These dumplings are the perfect foil for cheese, herbs, and other light, fresh spring ingredients. I’d love to make these again soon and toss them with buttered peas and a flurry of mint.

(Image credit: Apartment Therapy)
Comments

Ricotta Dumplings with Chèvre & Herbs

Serves 2 to 4

Nutritional Info

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup

    part-skim ricotta chese

  • 2

    large eggs

  • 1 1/2 cups

    flour

  • 3/4 teaspoon

    salt

  • Freshly ground black pepper

  • 2 tablespoons

    of water, as needed

  • 2 tablespoons

    unsalted butter

  • Handful fresh herbs (rosemary, flat-leaf parsley, sorrel, mint, thyme, or combination thereof)

  • 2 ounces

    fresh chèvre

Instructions

  1. Place a 3-quart (or larger) saucepan of water over high heat. Salt generously and bring to a boil.

  2. While waiting for the water to boil, whisk together the ricotta and eggs. Add the flour, salt, and a sprinkle of fresh black pepper. Mix together quickly and lightly with a spoon. If the dough is too thick and floury, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of water.

  3. Turn the dough out onto a floured countertop and quickly pat it out. (Don't add too much flour; these will be just slightly sticky.) Pat the dough out until it is about 1/2-inch thick, and cut into 1-inch squares.

  4. Drop these little squares into the boiling water and cook for 2 to 4 minutes, or until they float to the top and are fully cooked inside. Remove them from the water with a slotted spoon.

  5. Pour the water out of the pan and place back over medium heat. Melt the butter in the pan. While the butter is melting, chop the herbs roughly. When the butter has melted, add the herbs and cook for just a few seconds, stirring them until fragrant. Turn off the heat and add the cooked dumplings back to the pan. Toss with the herbed butter. Add the goat cheese in small dollops and toss.

  6. Serve immediately.

(Image credit: Apartment Therapy)

Related: Recipe: Ricotta Spaetzle

(Images: Faith Durand)

Filed in:
easy
Main Dish
pasta
quick
Side Dish