By overwhelming request, the Scotto family shares their Columbus Day recipe for Bread and Ricotta Dumplings with Genovese Sauce, as featured on TODAY:

Procedure: Dumplings

• Put ricotta in a fine strainer set over a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight. The cheese will become dry and firm.
• In a large bowl, combine ricotta, flour, eggs, parmesan, bread crumbs, parsley and black pepper. Stir together gently until a soft dough forms. Add a little more flour if the dough is too sticky.
• Dust hands with flour and shape into the size of small golf balls using approximately 2 tablespoons of dough for each one. Place dumplings on a floured baking sheet.
• In a large pot, bring 6 quarts lightly salted water to a boil. Set up an ice bath next to stove filled with ice and water.
• Gently place dumplings in pot of boiling water; do not over crowd so dumplings are able to float freely. Cook until they rise to the surface, about 6 minutes. Scoop them out of pot with a wire skimmer and transfer to ice bath. When cool, drain, transfer to a bowl and toss with olive oil; set aside.

Procedure: Sauce

• In a 12-inch sauté pan, heat olive oil over medium to high heat until hot.
• Add garlic, onion, anchovy, olives, capers, red pepper and oregano; cook together until light in color and translucent.
• Add red wine and cook for 2 minutes, then add tomato sauce and lower heat.
• Simmer for additional 10 to 15 minutes then finish sauce with fresh lemon zest, reason with salt and pepper.

To Assemble and Serve

• Preheat oven to 400°.
• Place dumplings in an oven proof casserole dish. Cover dumplings with sauce, sprinkle with grated parmesan cheese and bake in oven for 20 minutes.
• Serve as soon as the dumplings are removed from oven. The dumplings can also be placed in individual gratin dishes and served the same way.

Makes 6 servings.

Scottos Columbus Day Recipes:

• The Scottos: Three Cheese Polenta Gratin alla Genovese