Garlic Bread Dumplings with Rustic Tomato Sauce

I believe everyone in Acadiana has an Evangeline Maid memory. For me, the picture of the Maid fills my head with happy memories from when I was little.

My dad was raising me and my brother on his own, which meant he had to work hard and keep us on a very strict budget. We occasionally drove into Lafayette to shop. We endured the day, the drive, and hours spent running beyond-boring errands, because we knew our last stop was the Evangeline Maid store in Fightinville.

As soon as we saw the spinning loaf by the factory, we knew pure joy was next. We didn't know it was a discount store. We just knew it was the store where we could shop with few restrictions. All those beautiful bags of sliced Evangeline Maid bread, hot dog buns, hamburger buns, all of it right there for us to grab. Shelves full of sweet baked treats that were only occasional visitors in our pantry.

We walked out with bags full of soft white bread and treats, skipping and hopping with excitement. We would go home and lay out all our goodies as if we had just finished trick-or-treating.

Evangeline Maid was, and will always be, a symbol of joy and comfort to me. Going to that little store still fills me with joy, and my basket with all the wonderfulness that Evangeline Maid produces.

I found a very old Sicilian recipe for bread dumplings the more I studied it the more I thought how great would this be simmered in a rich tomato sauce. Then my love of garlic bread came through and I decided to give these dumplings a little more flavor. Made with the Evangeline Maid soft white bread and adding roasted garlic produced a light and flavorful dumpling with all the flavors of garlic bread. One small change and this becomes a great dish for vegetarians who are missing spaghetti and meatballs.

Garlic Bread Dumplings with Rustic Tomato Sauce

Serves 4

Ingredients

Dumplings:

• 7 cups Evangeline Maid bread, slightly dried, cut in small cubes
• 2 medium eggs
• 1 cup Parmesan or Romano cheese, grated
• 1/3 cup fresh parsley, minced
• 2 1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 bulb roasted garlic
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Vegetable oil, for frying

Sauce:

• 3 tbsp olive oil
• Pancetta, 1/4 inch dice (omit for vegetarian)
• 1 small onion, small dice
• Garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 3/4 tsp crushed red pepper
• 28 oz whole plum tomatoes, canned, drained juice reserved and tomatoes chopped
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• 1/2 cup red wine
• 1/2 cup water
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1/4 cup fresh basil, chiffonade

Instructions

1. Put bread cubes in a large bowl.
2. Combine eggs, cheese, parsley, and roasted garlic.
3. Add to bread cubes and mix thoroughly, I use my hands.
4. Slowly add olive oil until slightly sticky and you can form a solid ball.
5. Form tablespoon sized balls and set aside to rest.
6. Heat vegetable oil halfway up a heavy pan over medium-high heat.
7. Fry balls in batches, 1-2 minutes per side until golden. Drain on paper towels.
8. In a Dutch oven, heat olive oil, add pancetta and saute 3-4 minutes until brown. Skip for vegetarian.
9. Add onions, garlic, and red pepper flakes. Saute 5-6 minutes until onions are soft.
10. Add tomatoes and oregano. Saute 6-7 minutes until tomatoes start to dry up.
11. Add red wine, stir, simmer until reduced by half, 2-3 minutes.
12. Add reserved tomato juice and water, salt and pepper. Boil, then simmer 10-12 minutes until slightly thickened.
13. Add dumplings back, stir gently, cover and simmer an hour, stirring occasionally. Add a little water if too thick.
14. Add fresh basil and combine gently.
15. Serve with grated Parmesan.

Notes

• Roasted garlic: cut top off a whole bulb, spread with a little olive oil, wrap in foil, sealed. Bake at 400 degrees about 40 minutes, checking every 10 minutes until golden and soft.

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