Light and fluffy little ricotta and parmesan dumplings (called gnudi - pronounced 'nudy'!) - sooo easy to make and absolutely delicious smothered with a homemade roasted tomato sauce. Oh, and don't forget the fresh basil!
First, prepare the tomato sauce. Pre-heat the oven to 160C/320F. Spread the tomatoes out on a baking tray (keep cherry tomatoes whole, halve larger tomatoes and spread cut side up) with the garlic and thyme leaves stripped off the sprigs. Drizzle with olive oil and roast for 1 hour.
While the tomatoes are roasting, put the ricotta, nutmeg, parmesan, breadcrumbs and salt & pepper in a bowl and mix well with a wooden spoon. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Take very heaped teaspoons of mixture and roll into rough balls. Roll well in flour and place on a floured baking tray or plate. Chill while the tomatoes finish roasting.
When the tomatoes are done, scrape them into a food processor and blend to a sauce. Tip into a small saucepan, tear in the fresh basil and heat gently to warm through.
Bring a medium pan of water to the boil, then boil the gnudi for about 3 minutes or until they float on top of the water. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and put carefully in a colander.
Serve the gnudi with the tomato sauce poured over. Top with a little more fresh basil and shavings of parmesan cheese.
Notes
If you like, you can gently fry the cooked gnudi in a little hot oil in a frying pan before serving. This way, they end up slightly crispy on the outside. Delicious!