Malfatti

Ingredients for 6 servings:

• 750 g leaf spinach, frozen or 1 kg fresh spinach
• 1 tbsp butter or neutral oil
• 1 m.-sized onion(s)
• 2 garlic cloves
• 300 g ricotta or 500 g low-fat quark, very well drained
• 3 m.-sized eggs
• 50 g Parmesan or Grana Padano, freshly grated
• Salt (about 2 tsp)
• black pepper, freshly ground
• Chili, freshly ground (alternatively: nutmeg)
• 5 tbsp flour
• 50 g Parmesan, Pecorino or Sbrinz, freshly grated
• 50 g butter
• Flour for the work surface

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 20 minutes; Total time approx. 50 minutes

Spicy dumplings in the Northern Italian, Graubünden (Grischuner) and Ticino style

Clean and wash the spinach leaves, then let them collapse in a saucepan until dripping wet. Or thaw frozen spinach leaves (e.g., in a sieve in the microwave). Squeeze out thawed or cooled leaves thoroughly and chop finely with a large knife. Sauté finely diced onions and garlic in a little butter until translucent. Mix in the chopped spinach, remove from the heat, and let cool slightly. Beat the drained low-fat quark or ricotta with the eggs until creamy (about 280g), add the drained spinach and 50g grated Parmesan, and season generously with salt (careful, as Parmesan already contains salt), pepper, and chili (nutmeg). Gradually add the flour, stirring constantly, until the batter is smooth and about as firm as a meatball mixture. The amount of flour depends on the residual moisture in the spinach and quark, as well as the size of the eggs. Taste and season if necessary. Using 2 tablespoons, scoop out dumplings (makes about 35-40) and place them on a floured work surface, leaving some space between them. When the dough is used up, roll the dumplings into balls with floured hands. Bring salted water to a boil in a large, shallow pot (3 liters capacity) and drop the malfatti into the boiling water in batches. They are cooked when they float to the surface. Skim off the excess with a slotted spoon and, once drained, toss in a large pan with the remaining melted butter. Serve hot and sprinkle with your chosen cheese. Alternatively, especially for larger quantities: Malfatti means “poorly made,” so the dumplings don’t have to be perfect. If you have a spaetzle board, you can also spread the mixture thickly onto the wet board and, using a spaetzle knife or a broad knife, scrape half-palm-sized dumplings into the simmering salted water. They should be about the size of gnocchi, but looser. They are cooked when they float to the surface. Skim off the excess liquid with a slotted spoon, drain well, and place side by side in a shallow baking dish. Drizzle the remaining melted butter over the malfatti. Sprinkle with 50g of Parmesan cheese (or a little more if you like) and place in the oven preheated to 170°C. Remove from the oven after 8-10 minutes and serve. This is a starter for 6-8 people. Served with a nice leaf salad, it also makes a meal for 4. It’s easy to prepare. Tip: There are many different recipes, with and without onions and garlic, often with nutmeg. This is our favorite. The mixture and the dumplings are easy to prepare in advance. Cover the dumplings with a floured kitchen towel and cook them only when ready to serve. In the casserole version, you can also cook them and then put them in the oven when the meal is ready. Sbrinz is little known in Germany and not available everywhere. The Swiss prefer it; it’s a bit more flavorful than with run-of-the-mill Parmesan. If you can find Sbrinz or good Pecorino, you should at least try it as a topping (don’t put it in the oven). But it’s also very good with freshly grated Grana Padano from a discount store.