Description
Malfatti, meaning ‘badly made’ in Italian, are rustic spinach and ricotta dumplings that are tender, flavorful, and surprisingly easy to make. They’re often served with a simple tomato sauce or browned butter and sage.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 1 cup cooked spinach, squeezed dry and finely chopped
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour (plus more for dusting)
- 2 tablespoons butter (for serving)
- 6 fresh sage leaves (optional, for serving)
- Grated Parmesan cheese (for garnish)
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta, chopped spinach, Parmesan, egg, nutmeg, salt, and pepper.
- Add flour and gently mix until the dough holds together. Avoid overmixing.
- Dust a work surface with flour. Roll the dough into small logs and cut into bite-sized pieces or form into small dumplings by hand.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a simmer (not a full boil). Carefully drop in the malfatti in batches.
- Cook until they float to the top, about 3–4 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon.
- In a pan, melt butter and add sage leaves (if using). Cook until butter is golden and fragrant.
- Serve the malfatti with the browned butter and sage or your favorite tomato sauce. Garnish with extra Parmesan.
Notes
- Make sure the spinach is thoroughly squeezed dry to avoid watery dough.
- Use fresh ricotta for best texture.
- Can be frozen before cooking and boiled straight from frozen.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 220
- Sugar: 1g
- Sodium: 180mg
- Fat: 13g
- Saturated Fat: 7g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 10g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 13g
- Cholesterol: 85mg