Ricotta Dumplings With Red Pepper Sauce

Preparation

1. Step 1

   To make the sauce, place the red pepper chunks and tomato in a saucepan with 1¼ cups water. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce to low, cover and boil gently for 10 minutes. Push the mixture through a food mill.

2. Step 2

   Return the pureed mixture to the saucepan, and stir in the salt, pepper and dissolved cornstarch. Bring to a boil, add the butter and oil and emulsify with a hand blender for about 15 seconds. Keep the sauce warm while making the dumplings.

3. Step 3

   For the dumplings, bring 3 quarts of water to a simmer in a pot. Meanwhile, place the ricotta, salt, pepper, eggs, Parmesan and flour in the bowl of a food processor, and process at maximum speed for 10 seconds. Transfer the dumpling batter to a bowl, and mix in the chives.

4. Step 4

   Make the dumplings in two batches, dropping the batter, one tablespoon at a time, as quickly as possible into the hot water. Let the dumplings cook just below the boil, at a low simmer, for 10 minutes. (The dumplings will rise to the top of the water and float as they cook.)

5. Step 5

   After 10 minutes, lift the dumplings with a slotted spoon, drain well, arrange on a platter and keep warm while making the rest of the dumplings. When the second batch is cooked, add them to the platter or divide all the dumplings among individual plates. Spoon on the warm red pepper sauce, and serve with a few sprinklings of Parmesan.