Malfatti (Italian Spinach Ricotta Dumplings in Napoli Sauce)

Name: Malfatti (Italian Spinach Ricotta Dumplings in Napoli Sauce)
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 1 h 10 min
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 2 tbsp olive oil; 2 garlic cloves (, finely minced); 1/2 onion (, very finely diced); 800g / 24 oz crushed tomato ((or diced)); 1 tbsp tomato paste; 1/2 cup water; 1 basil stem ((leaves kept for the Malfatti)); 1/2 tsp white sugar; 3/4 tsp salt; 1/2 tsp black pepper; 300g / 10oz baby spinach ((~6 tightly packed cups, Note 4)); 1/2 tsp salt; 1 tbsp olive oil; 2 cloves garlic (, finely minced); 1 eschallot ((large), finely chopped (or 1/2 red onion)); 500g / 1 lb ricotta ((must be dry type, not wet and spreadable, Note 1)); 1/4 cup (lightly packed) basil leaves, finely sliced ((use stem for sauce)); 1 egg ((Note 2)); 1 egg yolk ((Note 2)); 1 cup parmesan (, finely grated); 1/2 cup flour (, plain / all-purpose); 1/4 cup parmesan (, finely grated); Basil leaves (, small (optional))

Instructions

Prep:25minCook:45min

Recipe video above. Malfatti means “badly formed” in Italian. These irregular spinach ricotta gnocchi-like dumplings may look a bit wonky, but they taste incredible!Like gnudi except with the addition of spinach, this traditional Italian dish can be served straight after boiling them. But it's really worth a quick 15 minute bake to get a light golden crust on the Malfatti as well as caramelisation on the edges of the Napoli sauce. It really takes it in a deliciously different direction!Servings: This will serve 4 very hungry people, or 5 standard servings.

Updated at: Sun, 21 Dec 2025 13:27:07 GMT