Cottage cheese dumplings with sauce

Name: Cottage cheese dumplings with sauce
Ingredients: Dumplings 300 g cottage cheese 2 eggs 50 g cheese salt pepper basil flour Tomato sauce 5 tomatoes 1 cup water oil salt pepper 2 cloves garlic basil 1 small onion rosemary 1 teaspoon sugar

Salad - Cottage cheese dumplings with sauce by Iosefina J. - Recipia

Cheese dumplings are prepared simply, using a soft dough made with eggs and cheese, then boiled and placed directly into a flavorful tomato sauce. They should not be too firm, and flour is added gradually until the dough can be shaped with a wet hand. The sauce is made from tomatoes, onion, garlic, and a few dried herbs, and at the end, the dumplings are left to simmer for a few minutes to meld the flavors. Quick Info Total Time: not specified in the original recipe Preparation Time: not specified Cooking Time: approximately 8 minutes for the dumplings, plus about 3 minutes in the sauce; the sauce simmers beforehand until it reaches the desired consistency Servings: not specified Difficulty: easy to medium Recipe Type: cheese dumplings in tomato sauce Ingredients For the dumplings 300 g cottage cheese 2 eggs 50 g cheese salt pepper basil flour, added gradually as needed for a non-sticky but soft dough For the tomato sauce 5 tomatoes 1 cup of water oil salt pepper 2 cloves of garlic basil 1 small onion rosemary 1 teaspoon of sugar For serving chopped fresh parsley, optional Preparation Method 1. Prepare the dumpling mixture Place the cottage cheese, eggs, cheese, salt, pepper, and basil in a bowl. Mix the ingredients, then start adding flour gradually. The amount of flour is not fixed in the original recipe, as it can vary depending on how moist the cottage cheese is and the size of the eggs. Stop when you achieve a dough that is no longer sticky but remains soft. If the dough becomes too firm, the dumplings will turn out denser. 2. Shape the dumplings Wet your hands and shape the dumplings. They don’t need to be very large, as they may change shape slightly during boiling. As you shape them, set them aside until the water is ready. Wet hands help prevent the dough from sticking, making shaping easier. 3. Boil the dumplings Bring salted water to a boil. When the water starts boiling, add all the dumplings at once. Boil them over medium heat for about 8 minutes. Once cooked, remove them to a bowl. Be careful when handling them, as they are soft and can break if stirred too roughly. 4. Prepare the sauce base Finely chop the onion. Peel the two cloves of garlic and cut them in half. In a skillet or pot, add a little oil and sauté the onion along with the garlic. There’s no need to brown them heavily; just soften them slightly. 5. Add the tomatoes and seasonings Chop the tomatoes in a food processor and add them over the onion and garlic. Add the cup of water, basil, and rosemary. Let the sauce simmer over medium heat. The duration is not specified in the original recipe, so monitor the consistency: the sauce should be cooked and flavorful without being too watery. At the end, adjust with salt and pepper and add the teaspoon of sugar. The sugar balances the acidity of the tomatoes, especially if they aren’t very ripe. 6. Add the dumplings to the sauce Add the boiled dumplings to the tomato sauce and let them cook for another 3 minutes. Stir gently without crushing them. Finally, sprinkle with chopped parsley if desired. The dumplings are served warm with the tomato sauce. Why I Make This Recipe Often I love this recipe because it uses common ingredients and doesn’t require complicated dough. The dumplings are denser than pasta but can be prepared in a reasonable time, and the tomato sauce makes them easier to serve as a main dish. It’s also a flexible recipe. The flour is adjusted based on the texture of the cheese, and the sauce can be prepared while the dumplings are boiling. I started from a recipe inspired by Rocsi, to whom I am grateful for the idea. Tips and Variations Tips The cottage cheese used for the dumplings should not be too liquid. If it has a lot of whey, the dough will require more flour, and the dumplings may become too heavy. Add the flour gradually. There’s no need to follow an exact amount, but rather focus on the texture of the dough: it should be shapeable with wet hands, non-sticky, and not too firm. Boil the dumplings over medium heat. If the water is boiling too vigorously, they may break apart more easily. Carefully remove the dumplings after about 8 minutes and don’t leave them in the boiling water too long after they are done. In the sauce, stir gently and infrequently. The dumplings are soft and don’t need much handling. Substitutions Cottage cheese is the key ingredient for the dough and shouldn’t be replaced if you want to keep the recipe in its original form. The dish is sometimes associated with ricotta dumplings, but here the base is cottage cheese. Fresh tomatoes can vary in sweetness and acidity. Therefore, salt, pepper, and sugar are added at the end, after the sauce has simmered. The cheese can be used in the indicated amount without needing more. It contributes to the flavor and consistency of the mixture. Variations You can keep the sauce simpler by using only onion, garlic, tomatoes, basil, and rosemary. In the basic recipe, a little sugar is added at the end to balance the flavor. If you prefer a more aromatic sauce, keep the combination of basil and rosemary from the original recipe. For a milder taste, use less pepper. Serving Ideas The dumplings are served warm, directly in the tomato sauce. Chopped fresh parsley can be added at the end. They can be served as a main dish since they contain cheese, eggs, and cheese in the mixture. The sauce is sufficient to serve them without additional sides. Frequently Asked Questions Why is flour added gradually? Because cottage cheese can have varying moisture levels, and the eggs may be larger or smaller. The necessary amount is not fixed. The dough should be non-sticky but soft, not firm. How long are the dumplings boiled? In the original recipe, the dumplings are boiled for about 8 minutes over medium heat after being added to the salted water. Can I put the uncooked dumplings directly into the sauce? The recipe is structured in two steps: the dumplings are first boiled in salted water, then added to the sauce for about 3 minutes. It is recommended to keep this order. What should I do if the tomato sauce is too sour? At the end, add 1 teaspoon of sugar, exactly as specified in the recipe. Then taste the sauce and adjust with salt and pepper. Can I serve the dumplings without sauce? They can be removed from the boiling water and served separately, but the recipe is designed to be finished in the tomato sauce. The approximately 3 minutes spent in the sauce give them flavor and heat them evenly. Nutritional Values The values below are estimates, as the recipe does not specify the amount of flour and oil used, the type of cottage cheese, or the number of servings. As a reference, for a division into 4 servings and a moderate amount of flour and oil, one serving may have approximately: 350–450 kcal Protein: 18–23 g Carbohydrates: 35–50 g Fat: 14–20 g The largest variation comes from the amount of flour and oil, as well as the fat percentage of the cottage cheese and cheese. These values do not represent an exact nutritional calculation. Storage and Reheating The dumplings with sauce can be stored in the refrigerator in a closed container after they have cooled. Due to their soft texture, it is better to consume them in a short time and not keep them for many days. When reheating, warm them together with the sauce over low heat, stirring as little as possible. If the sauce has thickened, it can be brought back to a more fluid consistency through slow heating, without letting the dumplings boil for too long.

Cottage cheese dumplings with sauce

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