-
1
Drain the ricotta of all free liquid, reserving one tablespoon of that liquid for the sauce, so the dough does not become wet and unworkable at the bench. Place the drained ricotta in a bowl, add the flour and salt in one addition, and 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, because working it further tightens the dough and will give you dense, heavy ndundari instead of the light, yielding texture the dish demands.
-
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; any delay beyond five minutes allows the dough to relax so the gnocchi flatten, lose definition, and begin to stick. Do not roll and do not press — handling compacts the dough and closes the open crumb that makes ndundari float cleanly rather than sit heavy. The water must be at a full boil before the first ndundaro enters it, so the outside sets immediately and holds the shape you have given it.
-
3
Cook the ndundari in the boiling water until each one has floated to the surface and held there for thirty seconds — the float tells you the centre has heated through and the dough has set, not merely that it has risen. Do not prod them, as pressing a ndundaro that is still setting will collapse the structure before it has firmed. Remove with a slotted spoon.
-
4
While the water comes to the boil, warm the olive oil with the garlic clove over a medium flame until the garlic is fragrant but not coloured, so it perfumes the oil without turning sharp and bitter. Add the crushed cherry tomatoes, the reserved tablespoon of ricotta water, and the basil, then cook for eight minutes at a brisk simmer — no longer — so the sauce stays bright in colour and loose enough to coat without swamping the ndundari. Remove the garlic before saucing.
-
5
Transfer the cooked ndundari directly to the sauce and turn them once, gently, to coat — a single turn is enough, as the dough is tender and will break apart if handled repeatedly. Plate immediately. Tear the Fior di Latte over the top at the moment of service only, so the cold cheese meets the warm gnocchi at the table rather than melting away in the kitchen and losing the contrast of temperature and texture that defines the dish.