Italian Malfatti – Soft, Cheesy & Delicious Spinach Ricotta Dumplings

Malfatti – Authentic Italian Spinach Ricotta Dumplings 🍝

Malfatti — which literally means “badly made” in Italian — are tender, melt-in-your-mouth spinach and ricotta dumplings that hail from the heart of Tuscany. Despite their humble name, these dumplings are a true Italian comfort dish — soft, flavorful, and coated in a light butter or tomato sauce. 🇮🇹

🌿 What Is Malfatti?

Malfatti are rustic Italian dumplings made with spinach, ricotta cheese, a touch of flour, and parmesan. The name comes from their slightly irregular shape — they’re not perfectly round like gnocchi, but that’s what makes them special! 😋

🥣 Ingredients You’ll Need

• Fresh spinach – 250g (blanched and finely chopped)
• Ricotta cheese – 200g (well-drained)
• Grated Parmesan – 50g
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons flour
• Salt, pepper, and nutmeg to taste

👨‍🍳 How to Make Malfatti

1. Blanch spinach in boiling water for 1 minute, then squeeze out all moisture.
2. Combine spinach, ricotta, Parmesan, egg, and flour in a bowl.
3. Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Mix until smooth.
4. Shape into small dumplings using a spoon or hands.
5. Boil water with a pinch of salt and gently drop dumplings in.
6. Cook for 3–4 minutes or until they float to the top. Drain gently.

🍅 Serving Suggestions

Serve Malfatti with a drizzle of butter and sage sauce or a homemade tomato basil sauce. Sprinkle with Parmesan and enjoy this Italian classic with a glass of chilled white wine! 🍷

💡 Zaika Ghar Tip

For perfect texture, make sure your ricotta is dry and spinach is well-drained — moisture makes the dumplings fall apart. Pat them dry with paper towels before mixing. 🙌

👉 Try more delicious recipes at Zaika Ghar — your home for authentic international flavors!