The Gender End by Bella Forrest (the giving tree read aloud TXT) 📕

another 8 or 9 gnudi at a time, dredge in flour on all sides, and tap off the excess.

Slide the formed gnudi into the simmering water, being careful not to overcrowd the pot. Remove the gnudi using a slotted spoon after they have floated to the top and have cooked for about 4 minutes total. While the gnudi cook, create another batch of gnudi and dredge them in flour. Continue cooking and forming gnudi, transferring the cooked gnudi to a platter in a single layer, until you have used all the ricotta mixture.

Divide the gnudi among the serving bowls. Pour the reduced broth over the gnudi. Sprinkle with a pinch of the pepper and a spoonful of grated Parmesan and serve.

Tagliatelle with Short Rib Ragù

4 to 6 servings

Although this dish takes almost three hours to make, I promise you it’s so worth it. The short ribs become incredibly tender and moist, they fall off the bone. It’s the kind of meal you will dream about on a snowy night. The twist here is the shaved bittersweet chocolate, which gives the dish a sweet and savory yet extremely subtle component. You can leave it out, but trust me when I tell you that it’s the element everyone will be talking about when they taste this.

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 ounces pancetta, chopped (about ½ cup)

2½ pounds short ribs

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

¼ cup all-purpose flour

1 medium onion, chopped

1 carrot, peeled and chopped

½ cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

2 garlic cloves

1 (14.5-ounce) can tomatoes (whole or diced)

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary

1 teaspoon dried thyme

½ teaspoon dried oregano

1 bay leaf

2½ cups beef broth

¾ cup red wine

1 pound fresh or dried tagliatelle

4 to 6 teaspoons shaved bittersweet chocolate

Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy soup pot over medium heat. Cook the pancetta until golden and crisp, about 4 minutes. Meanwhile, season the short ribs with salt and pepper, and dredge in the flour. Using a slotted spoon, remove the pancetta from the pan and set it aside. Add the short ribs to the pan and cook until browned on all sides, about 7 minutes total. Meanwhile, combine the onion, carrot, parsley, garlic, tomatoes, and tomato paste in a food processor and pulse until finely minced. Once the short ribs are browned, add the minced vegetables to the pot along with the pancetta and stir. Add the rosemary, thyme, oregano, bay leaf, beef broth, and wine. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Remove the lid and simmer for another hour and 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Using a slotted spoon, lift out the short ribs and let cool briefly on a plate. Shred the meat and return it to the pot, discarding the bones. Discard the bay leaf. Add ½ teaspoon salt and ¾ teaspoon pepper.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, 8 to 10 minutes for dried pasta or 2 to 3 minutes for fresh. Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid. Add the pasta to the pot with the short rib ragù and stir to combine. If needed, add the reserved pasta liquid ¼ cup at a time to moisten the pasta. Transfer to serving bowls, top each bowl with 1 teaspoon of chocolate shavings, and serve immediately.

4 to 6 servings

Many Sicilian dishes feature swordfish, since it is very plentiful in the waters surrounding the island. Eggplant is also found in many dishes from this area, but I prefer the texture and taste of Japanese eggplants over the larger ones because their seeds are so tiny; there is also no need to salt the cubed eggplant because they aren’t as bitter as the fully mature ones can be.

1 pound penne rigata

⅓ cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil

3 garlic cloves, minced

½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, plus more to taste

¼ cup plus ⅓ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

4 Japanese eggplants, ends trimmed, cut into thirds lengthwise, then cut into 1-inch pieces

1 pound swordfish steaks, skin removed, cut into 1-inch cubes

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

⅓ cup dry white wine

2 cups halved teardrop or cherry tomatoes (red, yellow, or a blend)

Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain.

Meanwhile, place a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ⅓ cup olive oil, the garlic, red pepper flakes, and the ¼ cup parsley. Stir and cook until fragrant, 1 or 2 minutes. Add the eggplant and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove the eggplant from the pan and set aside. Season the swordfish cubes with salt and pepper.

Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the same pan, and cook the swordfish over medium-high heat until opaque, about 5 minutes, turning with a rubber spatula once or twice. Add the white wine and cook until almost evaporated, about 2 minutes. Turn off the heat. Add the tomatoes, eggplant, drained pasta, and the remaining ⅓ cup of parsley and stir. Drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil and sprinkle with more salt and pepper to taste. Stir to combine and serve.

4 servings

I’ve made this with lots of different pasta shapes—little stars, tiny elbows, ditalini, tiny wagon wheels—so use whichever you like or have on hand. In a pinch, you can even break a handful of spaghetti into small pieces if you don’t have any short-cut pasta on the shelf. It’s a perfect portable dish, a nice choice if you want to make something to take to a party or a new neighbor.

1 cup pastina (or any small pasta)

2 tablespoons olive oil

½ cup cubed chicken breast (1-inch cubes)

½ cup diced onion (about ½ small