Ingredients

• 300g/10½oz ricotta
• 500g/1lb 2oz Swiss chard
• pinch salt
• 50g/1¾oz very fine breadcrumbs
• 1 free-range egg
• lightly beaten
• 1 tbsp finely chopped basil
• 1 tbsp finely chopped mint
• 50g/1¾oz pecorino cheese
• fine semolina
• or 00 flour
• for dusting
• 50g/1¾oz gruyère cheese
• grated
• 50g/1¾oz pecorino or brocciu cheese
• grated
• 3 red peppers
• cut in half and deseeded
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion
• finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves
• finely chopped
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 sprig thyme
• 1 sprig rosemary
• 150ml/5fl oz red wine
• 400g tin tomatoes or 8 medium tomatoes
• peeled

Directions

• Drain the ricotta through a sieve then put into a bowl.
• Remove the white ribs from the Swiss chard and set aside to use in another recipe. Wash the leaves thoroughly
• then roughly chop. Put into a saucepan with a little water and a pinch of salt.
• Bring to the boil
• then simmer until wilted down and softened. Run under cold water until the chard has cooled down
• then squeeze out as much liquid as possible. Finely chop.
• Add the chard to the ricotta
• along with the breadcrumbs
• egg
• herbs
• ricotta and pecorino. Mix thoroughly
• then leave in the fridge to chill for about an hour
• or until it has firmed up a little.
• Lightly dust a baking tray with the semolina.
• To form the dumplings
• take two dessert spoons and scrape the mixture from one spoon to the other until you have a tight
• quenelle shape. Drop onto the baking tray and continue until you have used up all the mixture – you should have about 20 dumplings.
• Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil and add a generous amount of salt. Coat the dumplings with semolina and pat off any excess.
• Cook the dumplings in two batches. When they float they will be ready – this should take between 3–4 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 200C/180C/Gas 6.
• To make the sauce
• put the peppers on a baking tray. Roast in the preheated oven for 25 minutes
• or until the skin has started to blacken.
• Remove the peppers from the oven
• put in a bowl and cover. When the peppers are cool enough to handle
• peel off the skin and finely chop.
• Heat the olive oil in a saucepan and add the onion. Fry on a low–medium heat for 10 minutes
• or until soft. Add the peppers and garlic and cook for a further 5 minutes.
• Add the herbs and the wine. Bring to the boil
• allow the wine to reduce in volume by half
• then add the tomatoes.
• Return to the boil
• then lower the heat to a gentle simmer and leave to cook
• uncovered
• for 10 minutes
• or until the sauce has thickened. Discard the herbs.
• Lightly oil an oven dish and add half of the sauce. Top with the cooked dumplings
• then cover with the remaining sauce. Sprinkle with the gruyère and pecorino
• and bake in the oven for 20 minutes
• or until lightly browned. Serve.