P
Italian · Minori
Ndundari di Ricotta di Minori
Minori's ancient gnocchi — one of the oldest documented pasta preparations in Italy, first recorded in the 11th century. Made purely from fresh ricotta and flour (no egg, no potato), ndundari are rustic, tender, and intensely creamy. The recipe is remarkably simple: ricotta, 00 flour, salt — but the technique of not overworking the dough and cooking immediately is essential. Named 'ndundari' for the sound they make when they fall into boiling water. Dressed traditionally with a quick tomato and basil sauce and fresh Fior di Latte.
I
The Market List
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500 g
ricotta di bufala
highest-fat available; drained of excess liquid, liquid reserved
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
200 g
tipo 00 flour
approximately 100 g per 250 g ricotta
Your own market
1 tsp
fine sea salt
Your own market
For the sauce
10–12
1
garlic clove
lightly crushed, peeled
Your own market
1 tbsp
ricotta water
the reserved liquid drained from under the ricotta
Your own market
4–5 leaves
fresh basil
Origin · New ZealandPurely Artisan Foods · San Diego →
30 ml
extra-virgin olive oil
Your own market
To finish
150 g
Fior di Latte
torn into rough pieces at service only
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
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II
The Method
1
Drain the ricotta of all free liquid, reserving one tablespoon of that liquid for the sauce. Place the drained ricotta in a bowl. Add the flour and salt in one addition. Mix with a fork or a bench scraper only until the dough just comes together — the moment no dry flour remains, stop. The dough should look rough and slightly sticky. Do not knead.
2
This is where the dish lives or dies. Working quickly — within five minutes of the dough being combined — portion the ndundari directly into boiling salted water using a small ice cream scoop or two spoons, forming rough rounds of approximately 20–25 g each. Do not roll. Do not press. Any delay beyond five minutes allows the dough to relax: the gnocchi flatten, lose definition, and begin to stick. The water must be at a full boil before the first ndundaro enters it.
From the canon — Gnocchi are potato dumplings. Gnocchi →
3
Cook the ndundari in the boiling water. They are ready when each one has floated to the surface and held there for thirty seconds. Do not prod them. Remove with a slotted spoon.
4
While the water comes to the boil, make the sauce. Warm the olive oil with the garlic clove over a medium flame until the garlic is fragrant but not coloured. Add the crushed cherry tomatoes, the reserved tablespoon of ricotta water, and the basil. Cook for eight minutes at a brisk simmer — no longer. The sauce should remain bright and loose. Remove the garlic.
5
Transfer the cooked ndundari directly to the sauce. Turn them once, gently, to coat. Plate immediately. Tear the Fior di Latte over the top at the moment of service only — the cold cheese against the warm gnocchi is part of the dish's structure.
III
Quality Hierarchy
01
Reserve — Ricotta di bufala from a single caseificio on the Piana del Sele, drained overnight; Fior di Latte d'Agerola, made the same morning; San Marzano cherry tomatoes from Corbara (Corbarino); basil harvested that day.
02
Estate — Certified ricotta di bufala DOP, well-drained; Fior di Latte from a named Campanian producer; good-quality canned or fresh cherry tomatoes; fresh basil.
03
Market — Full-fat cow's-milk ricotta, drained of excess liquid — accept no low-fat substitute; supermarket Fior di Latte; cherry tomatoes of any origin.
04
House — Any whole-milk ricotta available, drained as thoroughly as possible; fresh mozzarella torn in place of Fior di Latte; any ripe small tomatoes crushed by hand.
IV
Sensory Tests
◇Touch. The dough holds together without crumbling and is slightly sticky — it should not feel smooth or elastic; any elasticity indicates the dough has been overworked.
◇Sound. A clear, distinct plop as each ndundaro drops into the water — the sound that names the dish; a dull splash indicates too large a portion or insufficient boil.
◇Sight. Each ndundaro rises to the surface and floats steadily — they are done thirty seconds after surfacing.
◇Smell. The sauce smells of fresh tomato and basil with no trace of reduction or caramel — it must not cook beyond eight minutes.
◇Where it lives or dies. The ndundari must travel from mixed dough to boiling water within five minutes — any delay causes the dough to relax, the pieces to flatten and cohere, and the dish to fail.
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VI
What to Pour
The pairing
Fortified wine
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The whole pairingPillar VII
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