Spinach and ricotta “Malfatti” or “Gnudi”

This recipe is originally from Tuscany, but has become popular in other Italian regions. Malfatti (literally “poorly made”) are also sometimes called gnudi (“naked”), since they are similar to the filling of spinach ravioli, but they are “naked” as there is no pasta to cover them.

How to prepare the tomato sauce:
Chop the onion and garlic, and fry them over moderate heat. Salt lightly to allow the vegetables to release liquid, which helps prevent them from burning. Continue cooking until the onion is transparent.

Meanwhile, peel the tomatoes, cut them in half and remove the seeds. When using canned peeled tomatoes, strain them and use the juice for another recipe. The passata is used as it comes bottled.

Add them to the sauce and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, always over moderate heat. Pass everything through a vegetable mill if you want a smooth sauce.

How to prepare the malfatti or gnudi:
Wash the spinach and boil it in a pot for 2 minutes. Remove and immerse the spinach in cold water to stop the cooking. When it’s cooled down, press firmly to get rid of as much water as possible. Chop the spinach with a knife and combine in a bowl with the well-drained fresh ricotta, a beaten egg, the grated Parmesan cheese and the flour. Season with salt, pepper and a little nutmeg. Mix until you get a homogeneous paste.

Separately arrange a lightly floured plate or a sheet of baking paper. This is so that the malfatti do not stick. Lightly moisten your hands, form small balls and place them on the surface prepared for this purpose.

Finally, boil plenty of water in a pot and cook the malfatti in it for 2 or 3 minutes. Use a wooden or silicone spoon to move them very delicately and prevent them from sticking to the bottom, always being very careful not to break them. We will notice that they are ready when they appear floating on the surface.

Serve a little tomato sauce in a deep plate, place some malfatti in the center, add grated cheese as desired and some basil leaves.

Tips and tricks:

1. One of the most important secrets for the success of the malfatti is that both the spinach and the ricotta are very well drained, otherwise it’s very likely that they will fall apart completely during cooking.
2. The flour is necessary for thickening the dough. Therefore, the amount is approximate and we can adjust it according to the achieved consistency.
3. A very simple trick to make sure if the amount flour is enough, is to boil a single ball as a test before pouring all the preparation into the pot.
4. If you want a keto or lower carb version, you can replace the flour with psyllium husk. It’s advisable to use a very small amount and add gradually, since this product has a great capacity to absorb liquid.
5. Some recipes indicate placing a good amount of flour on a plate, and after forming the balls, rolling them in that flour so that they are coated. This is another method to ensure that the malfatti do not fall apart. But this does not replace the flour that is added to the initial dough.
6. We can do without tomato sauce by opting for another traditional variant: heat a little butter and some sage leaves in a saucepan over low heat. Then serve this flavored butter over the malfatti and add grated cheese on top.