Borage and Ricotta Dumplings in Mushroom Broth

Borage and ricotta dumplings:

• 1/2 cup minced shallots
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
• Kosher salt
• 2 pounds borage leaves, washed, dried, and coarsely chopped
• 3 1/2 pounds fresh ricotta cheese, homemade or store-bought (see Note)
• 1 1/2 cups finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
• 1 cup “00” flour
• 15 twists freshly ground black pepper
• 10 grates nutmeg
• 1 large whole egg
• 1 large egg yolk
• Semolina flour, for dusting

Mushroom broth:

• 1 1/2 cups Mushroom Stock 
• kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

To serve:

• Kosher salt
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Borage flowers, to garnish

Make the Borage and Ricotta Dumplings: In a large pot, combine the shallots, olive oil, and a pinch of salt and cook over medium heat, stirring, until the shallots are translucent, 3 to 5 minutes.

Add the borage, season with salt, and cook until all of the natural liquid cooks out, about 30 minutes. Transfer the borage to a baking sheet to cool. Once cooled, squeeze out as much of the liquid as possible and discard it. Transfer the drained borage to a cutting board and chop it very finely. Taste the borage, season it with more salt if needed, then wrap it in cheesecloth. Squeeze out any remaining juice and leave the borage in a sieve set over a bowl to drain overnight in the refrigerator.

Meanwhile, also make the ricotta as directed and drain overnight.

Set the drained ricotta in a large bowl. Add the Parmigiano, “00” flour, a scant 2 tablespoons kosher salt, the black pepper, and nutmeg. Mix well to combine, then add the borage leaves. Gently whisk the whole egg and egg yolk with a fork and add them to the ricotta and borage. Use your hands to thoroughly mix the dough. The result should be like a pasta dough—the dough should not be sticking to your hands. If it is too dry, add a small amount of water; if it is too wet, add more flour.

Shape the dough into a ball and place it in a lightly oiled bowl with a piece of plastic wrap gently pressed over the top of the dough—you don’t want the dough to dry out. Refrigerate and let the dough rest for at least 2 hours.

Remove the dough from the refrigerator and place it on a work surface. Divide the dough into 6 pieces. Work with one piece at a time, keeping the other pieces covered with plastic wrap while you work. Lightly dust the work surface with semolina flour, then using your hands, roll the dough into a long log, just under 1 inch in diameter. If you have the space, repeat until all of the dough pieces have been formed into long logs.

Cut the logs crosswise into 11/2-inch dumplings and set them onto semolina-dusted baking sheets. Refrigerate, uncovered, for at least 1 hour and up to 24 hours.

Make the Mushroom Broth: In a saucepot, warm the stock over medium heat until hot. Season the stock to taste with salt and set aside until serving. Just before serving, rewarm the stock and whisk in the butter until incorporated.

To serve: Bring a large pot of water to a lively simmer and season it with enough salt for it to taste seasoned.

Cook the dumplings in the simmering water until they float to the surface, 2 to 3 minutes. Using a sieve, fish the dumplings out of the broth, making sure to drain all the water before you plate them. Divide the dumplings across bowls and then ladle the mushroom broth over them. Finish with a few drops of olive oil and some borage flowers.

NOTE: You’ll need to prepare the borage leaves and drain the ricotta the day before you make the dumplings. If you can’t find borage, any bright green—kale, nettles, spinach—will do.

If you’re making the fresh ricotta  for this recipe, you will need to make three times the batch size, but you will have a good amount of ricotta left over. If you’re using store-bought ricotta, you will still need to drain it overnight.

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Adapted from On Vegetables: Modern Recipes for the Home Kitchen by Jeremy Fox (Phaidon, April 2017).