Tomato and Ricotta Muffins with Pine Nut-Tomato Streusel

Tomato and Ricotta Muffins with Pine Nut-Tomato Streusel

Makes 12 muffins
Muffins
3 cups unbleached pastry flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 cup baking soda
14 ounces pureed fresh tomatoes
1-1/2 cup plain yogurt
3/4 cup vegetable oil
Filling
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
6 tablespoons sour cream
kosher salt
Streusel
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup pine nuts
1 tablespoon lemon zest
3 tablespoons oven-dried tomato - chopped
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
Preheat oven to 320 degrees and place rack in the center of the oven. Butter a muffin tin.
For the muffin batter, in a large bowl sift together flour, sugar, baking powder and baking soda. Make a large well in the center and pour in the tomatoes, yogurt and oil, whisking liquids and gradually drawing in dry ingredients until all the liquid is incorporated.
For the filling, mix ricotta, sour cream and a pinch of salt in a separate bowl.
Using a pastry bag fitted with a wide tip (or a spoon, or plastic bag with one corner snipped off), fill each muffin tin one-third full with batter. Place one tablespoon of ricotta mixture in the center of each muffin. Pipe remaining batter to just below the rim.
For the streusel, in a bowl mix all the ingredients except the butter and then with a pastry blender or fork, cut in butter until a crumb forms. Spoon over top of muffin batter.
Bake 25 to 30 minutes until lightly brown and firm.

Potato Gnocchi

Potato Gnocchi

4 (about 800g) sebago potatoes (washed), peeled, quartered
Salt & ground white pepper
1 egg, lightly whisked
300g (2 cups) plain flour
20g (1/4 cup) finely grated parmesan
Plain flour, to dust

Add enough water to a saucepan to reach a depth of 3cm. Bring to the boil over high heat. Place potato in a metal steaming basket. Place steamer in saucepan (make sure base of steamer doesn't touch the water). Steam, covered, for 15 minutes or until tender. (It's best to steam rather than boil the potato. Boiling can saturate potato with water, which will increase the amount of flour required and result in a heavier gnocchi.) Transfer to a bowl and use a potato masher to mash until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.

Add the egg and stir with a wooden spoon until combined. Add half the flour and parmesan and stir until combined. Add the remaining flour, in 2 more batches, until well combined and a firm dough forms. (If dough is too soft, add more flour.) Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth. Line a baking tray with non-stick baking paper. Divide dough into 4 equal portions. Roll 1 portion into a 2cm-diameter log about 30cm long. Use a lightly floured knife to cut into 2cm pieces. Repeat with remaining dough portions.

Lightly flour your hands and roll each piece of dough into a ball. Use your thumb to roll each ball over a floured fork. Place on tray.

Bring a saucepan of salted water to the boil over medium heat. Add one-quarter of gnocchi (drop onto base of pan in a single layer, but don't overcrowd as they can stick together) and cook for 3 minutes or until they rise to the surface. Use a slotted spoon to drain and transfer to a bowl. Cover with foil to keep warm. Repeat, in 3 more batches, with the remaining gnocchi.

Gnocchi Puttanesca

Gnocchi Puttanesca

The translation of the title of this dish is “whore’s pasta”! There are a lot of stories as to how it got its name, but one of the most common is that it was a dish that the working girls could quickly prepare between customers. Another version is that is was cooked in brothels so customers would be lured in by the enticing aromas. I don’t really buy that one. I think food would be the last thing on the customers minds ;-) It is a relatively modern dish, probably dating back to the end of the second world war. Both Lazio and Campania claim it as their own. This is the Campania version.

Ingredients


2 tbs olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
5 anchovy fillets, chopped
1 small red chilli, seeded, finely chopped
1/2 cup (125ml) dry white wine
800g canned chopped tomatoes
1 bay leaf
1 tbs baby capers, rinsed
100g small pitted black olives
800g potato gnocchi (See Separate Recipe)
1 tbs chopped flat-leaf parsley
Grated parmesan, to serve
Heat the olive oil in a deep frypan over low heat, add the chopped onion, crushed garlic, anchovy fillets and chilli and cook, stirring, for 2-3 minutes until the onion has softened and the anchovies have dissolved. Add the white wine, chopped tomato, bay leaf and rinsed capers, then cook for a further 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is slightly thickened. Season - remembering that the anchovies, capers and olives are all quite salty - then stir in the olives.

Towards the end of the sauce cooking time, cook the potato gnocchi in a large pan of boiling salted water according to the packet instructions, then drain.

Add the gnocchi and the flat-leaf parsley to the sauce and toss well.

Serve the gnocchi sprinkled with grated parmesan.