‘Uglier the better’ is rarely something you hear in the Foodie world, but these Italian dumplings are exactly that. Malfatti (“badly made” in Italian — a tongue-in-cheek name for these ‘rustic’ dumplings) are delicate spinach-and-ricotta dumplings, similar to gnudi, and absolutely delicious when done right.
⚠️Now, a quick note on this recipe:
🍳First – ‘Done right’ really means ‘not easy’ and this recipe is a labor of love and not well suited to a weeknight meal. We suggest setting this recipe aside for a weekend, roll up your sleeves, open some wine, and take your time.
🍳Second – Prep work requires a fair amount of bench space and is likely to use most dishes and pots in your kitchen – or at least allow time for a few rounds of cleanup. We’d skip this recipe if you’re cooking in a small kitchen.
✅ The good news is the end result is wonderfully delicious and somewhat ugly dumplings that are just lightly crisped on top and soaked up the Napoli sauce. All that effort is well worth it!
🇮🇹How to Make Napoletana Sauce – Easy Italian Napoli Sauce Recipe https://youtu.be/_Hk58N9AsNY
✅ Get the full printable recipe here: https://happymediterranean.com/malfatti-italian-spinach-ricotta-dumplings-in-napoletana-sauce/
🍝 Ingredients
🍅Napoli Sauce:
Extra Virgin Olive Oil https://amzn.to/3Lvmoi4
1 small onion, finely diced
3 garlic cloves, minced (🧄 optional)
800 g (28 oz) canned Tomatoes (ideally San Marzano) https://amzn.to/3LyZRk9
2 Tbsp Tomato paste
½ tsp Dried Oregano (organic) https://amzn.to/4fa3P0v
A few fresh basil leaves, with stems
Salt and Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 tsp white sugar
🧀Malfatti:
5 oz. (150g) spinach
Salt https://amzn.to/4cOstlB
1 onion, diced fine
3 garlic cloves, minced (🧄 optional)
10.5 oz. (300g) Ricotta Cheese https://amzn.to/3Dn1dhA
50 g (½ cup) grated Parmigiano Reggiano DOP 18 months https://amzn.to/4jbub3r
2 Tbsp basil leaves, finely diced
2 egg yolks (discard the white)
Pinch of grated nutmeg
1/2 cup all-purpose flour (add more or less to taste)
Salt and Pepper to taste
🌿For Garnish and Serving:
Parmesan , finely grated
Basil leaves
🍽️ Equipment
12-Inch Stainless Steel Frying Pan or skillet https://amzn.to/430Qjsh
Large Glass bowl https://amzn.to/3W6C6VM
Mesh Strainers (flour sieve) https://amzn.to/3YUa5mY
Baking/Cooling rack https://amzn.to/422wfFu
Parchment paper https://amzn.to/3XQhByo
Wooden Cutting Board https://amzn.to/3AxodsT
Chef Knife https://amzn.to/3zN0eFp
Garlic Press https://amzn.to/3Sa11X8
Immersion Blender (optional) https://amzn.to/49C8wxO
🇮🇹 More Italian Recipes:
👉 Classic Italian Pasta Soup with White Beans | Pasta e Fagioli – https://youtu.be/6cueUR4ROfA
👉Caprese salad (Insalata Caprese) – https://youtu.be/GOQ6hnknlSY
👉Classic Summery Bruschetta – https://youtu.be/BUQFIK5tKmE
👉Panzanella Salad – Tuscan Tomato and Bread Salad – https://youtu.be/1DNq-Lb8WGc
👉Creamy Whipped Ricotta with Roasted Cherry Tomatoes – https://youtu.be/KYUlM4myttA
#malfatti #ItalianFood #ItalianRecipes #recipe #food #dumplings #ovenbaked #italianmalfatti #MediterraneanFood #MediterraneanRecipes