Franco Romagnoli passed away

Writer, photographer, sculptor, and cook Franco Romagnoli died yesterday. Among his many achievements was a television show with his late wife, Margaret, several books, and restaurants. The Rome native married his present wife, Gwen in 1998 and they lived recently in an apartment overlooking the Charles River surrounded by the tiny wire sculptures Franco made -- extraordinary pieces.

Some years ago, my co-author Julie Riven and I made gnocchi with Franco in his house in Watertown. He rolled them under his palms like they really were ropes, instead of fragile potato dough, dropped them into simmering water, and offered us his feathery puffs with a little cheese.

Franco was special in many ways. He had a remarkable eye and photos he shot of famous Europeans were also in his house. He originally came here to work as a documentary filmmaker at WGBH; he met Margaret and switched careers. He had been ill for some time and was nursed by Gwen, who was always by his side.

When Julie and I visited them, we noticed a very long wood table in their kitchen. Franco arranged the gnocchi on plates, poured wine, and sat down. The table, he said, "comes from a monkery."

"Monastery," whispered Gwen.

Then he told us that as a television chef, he used so many words incorrectly that viewers complained they couldn't understand him. "I just let it rip," he said.

Ricotta-spinach gnocchi
Serves 6

Shape these spinach dumplings by hand. Cook the gnocchi in water and serve them bathed in butter and Parmesan cheese.

GNOCCHI
1 package (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach
1 pound whole-milk ricotta cheese
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
3/4 cup flour
Extra flour (for shaping)

1. In a saucepan, bring 2 quarts of water to a boil. Add the spinach and cook for 5 minutes. Drain the spinach through a fine-mesh strainer. When it is cool enough to handle, press and squeeze the spinach to remove as much water as possible. Wrap the spinach in a clean kitchen towel (use one that you don't mind turning green) and twist it until all the water stops dripping.
2. Bring a large pan of salted water to a boil.
3. In a bowl, combine the ricotta and the spinach. Stir well to blend them. Add the egg, nutmeg, and salt and stir again. Stir in the Parmesan and 1/2 cup of the flour and mix until well blended.
4. Put the remaining flour on a plate. Flour your hands and scoop up a tablespoon of the dough. Roll it in your hands until you have a dumpling about the size of a walnut. Roll the dumpling on the plate to coat it lightly with flour.
5. You may need a little more flour and Parmesan. To test the dumpling, drop one into the boiling water to see if it holds its shape. If so, continue making dumplings until you've used all of the mixture. If not, add a little more cheese or flour to make the mixture more firm.
6. Line the shaped dumplings in one layer on a well-floured baking sheet. Let the dumplings rest uncovered for 30 minutes to dry out slightly.

TO SERVE
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1. Bring 4 quarts of salted water to a boil. Add the gnocchi, a few at a time. Continue adding the dumplings slowly so that the water continues at a gentle boil. When the gnocchi are almost cooked, they will rise to the surface. Continue cooking for 1 minute more.
2. Use a large skimmer or slotted spoon to scoop the gnocchi from the water. Transfer them to 6 deep bowls. Pour the butter over them and sprinkle with Parmesan. Franco Romagnoli