They're no sweat at all now, so when I came across this recipe for Ricotta Gnocchi, it only took a small measure of thinking to decide to go for it! Perhaps there's something to be said for our former dumpling caution. The gnocchi didn't turn out bad per say, they just weren't gnocchi. When paired with Mark Bittman's simple tomato sauce (tomatoes, butter, cook) done in a saucier (should have been a sauce pan, to get rid of more moisture), we were left with something entirely unexpected. The result was a plate of cheese, more gloopy than dumplingy, and diced tomatoes (though, not the kind from the can). The texture was almost like fresh mozzarella, but the flavors were so mild that the cheese was totally lost. It would have made good filling for stuffed pasta or vegetables (or even on actual pasta), but as a dish unto itself, it was a bit... odd. I think perhaps baking the dumplings instead of boiling them might have been better. As for the sauce, it really needed to be done in a wider pan, so that the liquid evaporated more quickly. Lessons learned there; water in the glass, not on the plate!
