Second post on the new blog!

To be honest: I’m still adjusting to this newer, more complex platform. After six years of blogging with the same system, this experience can be best described as hanging out with an old friend who has suddenly gotten a makeover complete with a new, chic haircut and color, and wardrobe change; if P&B were a person, I’d guess that she’s gone from a jeans/T-shirt look to a more sophisticated one, maybe even with heels and a designer scarf to match (but with her sparkling, culinarily enthusiastic character still in tact — don’t worry). As I slowly but surely get used to working with the new site, my stellar graphic designer (without whom this new site would have ever been possible!) has provided everything from video tutorials to on-the-spot guidance via Whatsapp, which has been so very helpful and made the whole transition easier (thanks Giac!). Bottom line: I am so very pleased and excited to have new site up and running and I really do hope you love it as much as I do.

In other news: as of the 18th of May Italy has been "unlocked" after the 70 day long lockdown that I've been chronicling on this blog. This means (among many things) that businesses have been able to reopen as long as social distancing practices are in place, we no longer need to carry around a self-declaration form, and we are allowed to see people who are not relatives/do not live in the same household. I have since seen a few friends, gotten my hair cut -- an ordeal involving hand sanitizer, a digital thermometer, and gloves/masks/shoe covers -- and enjoyed a cappuccino while sitting down outside (!!!) The line to enter the supermarket has disappeared, the streets are no longer deserted, and the sight of a crowd of masked faces no longer seems strange.

I'm feeling optimistic, but very cautiously so. Though I am very much enjoying this re-found freedom, I'm also avoiding public transport, big groups of people, and eating at restaurants; I will continue teleworking in to the Fall, and have decided to hold off making any travel plans. After all: If the lockdown has taught us anything, it's that we aren't nearly as in control as we'd like to think we are (if you had told me at Christmas that a pandemic was around the corner in 2020, I'd never have believed you) and I'm all too aware that any progress that has been made over the past 2.5 months could be undone in no time at all. Long story short: for now I'm keeping my fingers and toes crossed, trying to stay positive, and taking things one day at a time.

Eternal City Updates aside -- on to the food! Last month's Pasta Series taught you all about gnocchi di patate (potato gnocchi) so it seemed only natural then to follow up with these gnocchi di ricotta ('ndunderi,) another form of a food that seems to across-the-board please everyone (I've never met someone who doesn't like gnocchi).

'Ndunderi are gnocchi made with ricotta and Pecorino cheese, and hail from Minori on the Amalfi coast. They come together quickly, and are far easier to make than potato gnocchi -- no boiling and subsequent ricing of piping hot potatoes! -- and are different in texture, sturdier with a little more bite. Having said that, they stay true to gnocco form, managing to be featherlight and cloudlike, toothsome and beautifully textured thanks to the slight roughness of the semola. They are wonderful when served in melted butter (what isn't?) especially when that butter is cut with a little lemon juice, spiced up with a few grounds of black pepper, and cooked with sweet, Spring-y peas. Long story short:

Ricotta gnocchi + lemony butter + extra pecorino on top = all things good, and even better when eaten in a Rome that is starting to look a little itself again.

A couple of notes: I served these with lemon and butter but they are also quite versatile — feel free to serve them however you wish. Recipe from Stefano over at Italian Homecooking -- here are his notes! You could also even use standard, supermarket ricotta here and get good results. These gnocchi are rather sturdy and you could even sauté them in the pan containing the sauce. They keep very well in the fridge for at least a couple of days: place the formed, uncooked ‘ndunderi in a try heavily dusted with semola flour, sprinkle extra semola on top and loosely cover with cling film. You could also cook them in advance, shock them in icy water, drain them on a cloth and refrigerate (reheat them in the simmering sauce).

Want to know what the other recipes are in my blog's Pasta Series? Click here!

‘NDUNDERI (ricotta gnocchi)

Recipe for the gnocchi from Stefano over at Italian Home Cooking. Serves 2-3.

Ingredients for the 'ndunderi:
250 grams (1 cup) ricotta, well drained and patted dry with kitchen paper
2 egg yolks, beaten
100 grams (1 cup) freshly grated Pecorino cheese
80 grams (about 1/2 cup) semola rimacinata or all-purpose flour

Ingredients to serve:
4 tablespoons (56 grams) unsalted or salted butter
Generous handful (or two) of peas, fresh or frozen
Zest of one lemon
Squeeze of lemon juice
Salt, pepper to taste
Pecorino for serving

Directions:
Start with your 'ndunderi! In a large bowl, mix together the ricotta, yolks, and Pecorino. Add the flour and incorporate it gently until a dough forms -- do not overmix. Place the dough onto a lightly floured surface (or a pasta board if you have one!). Knead the dough gently for a minute or so -- this develops the gluten a little and gives the pasta some bite.

Divide the dough into three to four pieces, noting that it will be a little more fragile than your usual pasta dough, but nothing too difficult to work with. Roll each piece into a rope and cut it up into pieces using a bench scraper (or knife). As Stefano points out: the size is really up to you; you can make your ‘ndunderi rather substantial or more on the daintier side if you prefer. I went go for something sort of in between, not too big or too small. Next, you could make an indent by pressing your thumb into each gnocco or by rolling each one on a fork (as in potato gnocchi). If you're me, you will just cut them in to pieces and skip the rolling, as I did with last month’s gnocchi.

In a skillet over medium heat, melt the butter, then toss in the peas; saute for a few minutes. Add some salt, lots of freshly ground black pepper, the lemon zest, and a few squeezes of lemon juice. Set aside over low heat to keep it all warm.

Bring a pot of water to a boil, salt the water, and then cook your 'ndunderi for a few minutes from the moment they come afloat. Remove them with a spider (or drain them with a colander) and add them to the pan with the butter and peas, tossing everything together gently to coat the. Serve your 'ndunderi immediately topped with freshly grated Pecorino.