Malfatti (Italian Spinach Ricotta Dumplings)

Malfatti means “badly formed” in Italian. These rustic spinach ricotta dumplings may look irregular, but a quick bake in Napoli sauce gives them a light golden crust and deeply satisfying flavour.

Source: Goh (RecipeTin Eats)

Ingredients

Napoli Sauce

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
• ½ onion, very finely diced
• 800g crushed tomatoes (or diced)
• 15g (1 tbsp) tomato paste
• 120ml (½ cup) water
• 1 basil stem (leaves reserved for the Malfatti)
• ½ tsp white sugar
• ¾ tsp salt
• ½ tsp black pepper

Spinach

• 300g baby spinach
• ½ tsp salt

Malfatti

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 1 large eschallot, finely chopped (or ½ red onion)
• 500g ricotta (dry type — not wet or spreadable)
• ¼ cup basil leaves, lightly packed, finely sliced (use stem for Napoli sauce)
• 1 egg
• 1 egg yolk
• 100g (1 cup) parmesan, finely grated
• 60g (½ cup) plain flour
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp black pepper

For Serving

• 25g (¼ cup) parmesan, finely grated
• Small basil leaves (optional)

Instructions

Make the Napoli Sauce

1. Sauté garlic and onion. Heat olive oil in a small pot or large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and onion and cook for 3 minutes until softened.
2. Simmer. Add remaining sauce ingredients including the basil stem. Bring to a simmer, then reduce to low and cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes. Sauce should be fairly thick, not loose and runny.

Prepare the Spinach

3. Sweat and squeeze. Toss spinach with ½ tsp salt in a large colander. Leave for 20 minutes. Roll in a tea towel and squeeze tightly to remove excess liquid. Roughly chop.

Make the Malfatti

4. Sauté aromatics. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic and eschallot, cook 1 minute until translucent. Add spinach and cook until just wilted. Transfer to a large bowl and allow to cool.
5. Mix. Add ricotta and all remaining Malfatti ingredients to the bowl. Mix well. The mixture should be too wet to roll by hand without sticking, but firm enough to hold a shape.
6. Shape dumplings. Using 2 dessert spoons, scoop about 1½ tablespoons of mixture and shape into a rough football (quenelle) using the two spoons. Place on a paper-lined tray. You should get about 24–30 dumplings.
7. Boil in batches. Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Add 6 dumplings at a time and cook for 2 minutes — they should float to the surface. Remove with a slotted spoon to a paper towel-lined tray. Repeat for remaining Malfatti.

Bake

8. Preheat oven to 180°C / 350°F.
9. Assemble. Pour Napoli Sauce into a baking dish. Top with Malfatti and drizzle with a little extra virgin olive oil.
10. Bake 15 minutes until the Malfatti develop a faint blush of gold on the surface. Do not overcook — they will dry out.
11. Serve. Sprinkle with parmesan and torn basil leaves. Spoon into bowls; no starchy side needed. A leafy green salad makes a good accompaniment.

Ricotta: Use a dry, crumbly ricotta (vacuum-sealed basket type). Avoid smooth, spreadable, or wet varieties — they make the dumplings impossible to shape. If your ricotta is wet, bundle in a tea towel and drain in a colander overnight, or squeeze several times to remove excess water.

Make ahead: Assemble up to the point just before baking (dumplings in sauce) and refrigerate until ready. Cooked Malfatti keeps for 3 days in the fridge; reheat in the microwave.