Description
Learn how to make Malfatti, delightful Italian spinach and ricotta dumplings, a comforting and flavorful dish that makes a perfect main course. These rustic dumplings are easy to prepare and pair wonderfully with a homemade tomato sauce.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Dumplings:
- 500 g ricotta cheese (well-drained)
- 300 g fresh spinach (washed, cooked, and squeezed dry)
- 1 whole egg plus 1 egg yolk
- ¼ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese (plus more for serving)
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 shallot finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- pinch of ground nutmeg
For the Tomato Sauce:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- ½ onion finely diced
- 800 g canned crushed tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- ½ cup water
- 1 stem fresh basil
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Prepare the Spinach: Sauté shallot and garlic, add spinach, cook until wilted, cool, chop finely, and squeeze out excess moisture.
- Make the Dough: Combine spinach, ricotta, Parmesan, eggs, flour, salt, pepper, and nutmeg until a soft dough forms.
- Shape and Cook Dumplings: Form rustic dumplings, boil in salted water until they float, then remove.
- Prepare the Tomato Sauce: Sauté garlic and onion, add tomatoes, paste, water, basil, sugar, salt, and pepper. Simmer.
- Bake: Preheat oven, spread sauce in a dish, top with dumplings, drizzle with oil, and bake.
- Serve: Sprinkle with Parmesan and fresh basil before serving warm.
Notes
- Malfatti means “badly made” in Italian—rustic shapes are part of their charm.
- Ensure ricotta is well-drained to avoid a watery dough.
- Substitute thawed, squeezed-dry frozen spinach if fresh is unavailable.
- Pair with a simple salad or crusty bread for a complete meal.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Boiling, Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: ~5 dumplings with sauce
- Calories: 503
- Sugar: 10 g
- Sodium: 1601 mg
- Fat: 31 g
- Saturated Fat: 16 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 15 g
- Trans Fat: 1 g
- Carbohydrates: 32 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Protein: 29 g
- Cholesterol: 151 mg
