Make our take on Tuscan malfatti – spinach and ricotta dumplings that look a bit like large, roughly formed gnocchi. Serve coated in an aromatic sage butter and plenty of cheese
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 500g fresh or frozen spinach (see tip, below)
- 250g ricotta
- 50g fresh breadcrumbs
- 50g finely grated parmesan or vegetarian alternative, plus extra to serve
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 1 tbsp semolina or plain flour, plus extra for dusting
- nutmeg, for grating
For the sage butter
- 60g butter
- 25g sage leaves
Method
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Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a high heat and wilt the spinach, about 2-3 mins. Tip the spinach into a colander and press out any excess liquid using the back of a spoon. Leave to cool completely. Squeeze out any remaining liquid with your hands, then finely chop the spinach.
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Tip the chopped spinach into a bowl with the ricotta, breadcrumbs and parmesan. Add the egg and semolina or flour. Season and grate over some nutmeg. Stir to form an evenly combined, sticky mixture.
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Put a couple tablespoons of flour on a large tray and shake gently to spread the flour out. Spoon around ½ tbsp of the spinach mixture onto the floured tray and roll into a ball. Repeat with the rest of the spinach mixture, transferring the balls to a second clean baking tray as you go.
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Heat the oven to 140C/120C fan/gas 1. Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. Drop in the malfatti (you may need to do this in batches) and simmer for 2 mins, or until they float to the surface. Scoop the malfatti out with a slotted spoon and drain well. Transfer to an ovenproof serving dish and keep warm in the oven.
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Make the sage butter by melting the butter in a small pan. Add the sage leaves and fry gently, stirring often until crisp. Pour the sage butter over the malfatti and top with more grated cheese.