Malfatti with Tomato Sauce
Italian Spinach and Ricotta Gnocchi in Tomato Sauce
Malfatti originally come from northern Italy—but these ricotta and spinach dumplings have taken all of Italy by storm. Literally translated, “Malfatti” means “badly made” or “failed”—but with this recipe, they’re sure to turn out perfectly! The secret to malfatti lies in draining the spinach and ricotta thoroughly. With its rich contrast between the red tomato sauce and the green malfatti, this dish is definitely a showstopper—and yes, it’s reminiscent of gnocchi or dumplings from German cuisine. Just different. Even better. Mmm. Buon appetito!
Ingredients
250 g ricotta
500 g spinach
1 egg
50 g flour
50 g semolina
1 package ORO di Parma Sugo Herb Tomato Sauce (400 g)
70 g Parmesan*
1 pinch of nutmeg
Salt and freshly ground pepper
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*Certain types of cheese (e.g., Parmesan) are made with animal rennet and are therefore not suitable for vegetarian dishes.
Step 1 : The Preparation
To make the malfatti mixture, first boil the spinach in water and season it with salt to taste. Then let it drain and cool. If necessary, squeeze out any remaining water. Chop the spinach as finely as possible, then combine it in a mixing bowl with the ricotta, flour, egg, semolina, nutmeg, and Parmesan. Be sure to drain the ricotta well beforehand. Mix everything together into a dough and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Step 2 : The Malfatti
Use your hands to roll the mixture into small balls, about 4 cm in diameter. If you’d like, you can wear gloves while doing this. Once all the spinach-ricotta gnocchi are rolled and ready, add them to boiling salted water and cook until the balls float to the surface.
Step 3 : The Tomato Sauce
To make the fruity sauce, pour the Sugo Herb Tomato Sauce into a pot and heat it slowly while the malfatti cook in the water. Season the sauce to taste with salt and pepper. Then drain the cooked Malfatti and serve them with the tomato sauce, Parmesan, and fresh basil. Delizioso!
Ingredients
250 g ricotta
500 g spinach
1 egg
50 g flour
50 g semolina
1 package ORO di Parma Sugo Herb Tomato Sauce (400 g)
70 g Parmesan*
1 pinch of nutmeg
Salt and freshly ground pepper
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*Certain types of cheese (e.g., Parmesan) are made with animal rennet and are therefore not suitable for vegetarian dishes.
