Malfatti (Italian ricotta and spinach dumplings)

Malfatti are a traditional dish of Italian cuisine, originating from Northern Italy. This dish is primarily made with ricotta and spinach (or other vegetables), sometimes with eggs and flour. The name "malfatti", meaning "badly made", refers to the irregular shape of these rustic gnocchi. Initially, it was a humble dish, prepared with simple, local ingredients, especially in the countryside. Today, malfatti have become a popular dish in many regions, usually served with melted butter, sage, and parmesan, and sometimes accompanied by mushrooms.

Our Cesarina Tiziana from Rivanazzano Terme, has shared her recipe with us.

Composite photo with Cesarina Tiziana with raw malfatti and a plate of cooked and seasoned malfatti

Discover how to prepare these green dumplings, a symbol of Italian culinary tradition

DifficultyEasy

Preparation time30m

Cooking time30m

Servings4

€

CostLow

Ingredients

250 g of spinach
250 g of Swiss chard
150 g of ricotta cheese
50 g of breadcrumbs
50 g of all-purpose flour
200 g of grated Parmesan cheese
150 g of dried porcini mushrooms
70 g of butter
100 g of tomato passata
1 medium onion
Extra virgin olive oil, salt, pepper to taste
3 bay leaves

Method

Cook the vegetables in a pot with enough water.
Finely chop the onion and sauté it with the bay leaves. Then, add the soaked and coarsely chopped porcini mushrooms.
Add some of the filtered mushroom soaking water and, after a few minutes, pour in the tomato passata. Let it cook for another 25-30 minutes
Season with salt and pepper. Once the vegetables are cooked, squeeze out the excess water and finely chop or blend them
Place the vegetables in a large mixing bowl, add the ricotta, grated Parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, breadcrumbs, and flour, and mix well. The dough should be compact
On a cutting board, form a rope shape and cut it into pieces about 5 cm long
Flour the work surface generously and, using your hands, shape the malfatti into a plump center with narrower ends, like a dumpling
Place the malfatti well spaced on a tray, generously flouring them
Cook them in plenty of salted water, and as soon as they rise to the surface, remove them with a slotted spoon and place them on a large serving dish with melted butter and grated Parmesan cheese

Tiziana

Malfatti (Italian ricotta and spinach dumplings)