If you’re a fan of Italian cuisine, you’ve probably heard of malfatti. These pillowy, spinach and cheese dumplings are a delicious and comforting dish that is surprisingly easy to make. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced chef, this easy malfatti recipe will impress. With just a few simple ingredients and step-by-step instructions, you can recreate this classic Italian dish quickly.
Serves 6
Cooking time: 1 hour
plus 1 hour of straining time and
cooling time
Ingredients
Malfatti
250g of ricotta
450g of spinach
1 egg
50g of plain flour
50g of semolina, plus extra for dusting
70g of Parmesan, finely grated
1 pinch of nutmeg
1 lemon, zested
2 cloves of garlic
Tomato sauce
2 tins (800g) of chopped tomatoes
1 onion, peeled and halved through the root (so the layers stay together)
50g of unsalted butter
Directions
Begin by straining the ricotta. Line a sieve with a piece of muslin cloth (or j-cloth) and set over a bowl. Add the ricotta and leave to drain for around 1 hour in the fridge.
Meanwhile, make the sauce. Place the peeled onion halves in a pan with the tomatoes, a pinch of salt and the butter. Bring to a very low simmer, cook for 25 minutes, then remove and discard the onion halves. Taste and season with salt and pepper; use a hand blender to blend into a smooth sauce or keep it chunky. Reserve in the fridge to reheat later.
Wilt the spinach and garlic with a pinch of salt in a wide pan to make the malfatti. Transfer to a sieve and allow to cool, then squeeze out as much water as possible from the leaves. Finely chop, then place in a mixing bowl with the rest of the ingredients (including the strained ricotta). Season with a pinch of salt and pepper, then mix well until everything is evenly incorporated.
Roll the mixture into neat 2cm balls using your hands, then place on a tray dusted with semolina and leave in the fridge uncovered to firm up for at least 30 minutes (or overnight).
When ready to serve, boil a large pan of salted water and gently reheat the tomato sauce. Drop the malfatti into the water and cook for around 3 minutes or until they float to the surface. Once cooked, drain and leave to steam-dry a little.
They are ready to eat, but you can also pan-fry them in butter or oil for a few minutes until lightly crisp. Divide the sauce between serving plates. Place the malfatti on top and finish with a crack of black pepper and wild garlic flowers.
Related
- Greek Spinach Puff Pastry
- Sun Dried Tomato Salmon Pasta
- Pesto Shrimp Pasta
- Pasta Mollicata
- Shrimp Carbonara
Easy Malfatti Recipe
Ingredients
- 250g of ricotta
- 450 of spinach
- 1 egg
- 50g of plain flour
- 50g of semolina, plus extra for dusting
- 70g of Parmesan, finely grated
- 1 pinch of nutmeg
- 1 lemon, zested
Tomato sauce
- 800g of chopped tomatoes
- 1 onion, peeled and halved through the root
- 59g of unsalted butter
Instructions
- Begin by straining the ricotta. Line a sieve with a piece of muslin cloth (or j-cloth) and set over a bowl. Add the ricotta and leave to drain for around 1 hour in the fridge.
- Meanwhile, make the sauce. Place the peeled onion halves in a pan with the tomatoes, a pinch of salt and the butter. Bring to a very low simmer, cook for 25 minutes, then remove and discard the onion halves. Taste and season with salt and pepper; use a hand blender to blend into a smooth sauce or keep it chunky. Reserve in the fridge to reheat later.
- Wilt the spinach and wild garlic down with a pinch of salt in a wide pan to make the malfatti. Transfer to a sieve and allow to cool, then squeeze out as much water as possible from the leaves. Finely chop, then place in a mixing bowl with the rest of the ingredients (including the strained ricotta). Season with a pinch of salt and pepper, then mix well until everything is evenly incorporated.
- Roll the mixture into neat 2cm balls using your hands, then place on a tray dusted with semolina and leave in the fridge uncovered to firm up for at least 30 minutes (or overnight).
- When ready to serve, boil a large pan of salted water and gently reheat the tomato sauce. Drop the malfatti into the water and cook for around 3 minutes or until they float to the surface. Once cooked, drain and leave to steam-dry a little.
- They are ready to eat, but you can also pan-fry them in butter or oil for a few minutes until lightly crisp. Divide the sauce between serving plates. Place the malfatti on top and finish with a crack of black pepper.