Posted by Gina DePalma, April 22, 2008 at 8:30 AM
The markets of Rome are always ablaze with color, but as the weather gets warmer and the variety of produce grows, the vivid hues have intensified. This past Saturday at the Campo de’Fiori was a riot of spring colors, but it was the reds that leapt out and grabbed my attention.
Locals elbowed wide-eyed tourists for space and the usual Italian cluster mobs had formed, but the hand-to-hand mortal combat wasn’t enough to distract me from seeing red at every turn, bright and deep, from pink to purple. The last of the apples were being nudged by baskets of tiny fragole di bosco, or wild forest strawberries, delicate, variegated Radicchio di Castelfranco nodded to me in the breeze, and tomatoes of every shape and size from Sicily screamed of juicy ripeness.
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Posted by Nick Kindelsperger, December 17, 2007 at 4:00 PM
Most of my experience with gnocchi is with the potato kind. I do love it, but it takes time. By the time the potatoes have baked, an hour has already gone by. Then you have to let it cool, and then finally set about mixing everything together. But with ricotta gnocchi, you can start with the mixing. It makes this version a perfectly legitimate weeknight meal.
I actually made my own ricotta for the meal, but that certainly isn’t necessary. And while it makes potato gnocchi seem excessive, it comes out just as light and heavenly. A light tomato sauce wouldn’t be bad, nor would a béchamel (which the Silver Spoon recommends). But I just sprinkled with a little more of the Parmesan and called it a day. Oh, and I almost forgot: That’s all because of the spinach, which adds some much needed color, and a depth a flavor that would escape the cheese.
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