Sometimes the most comforting dishes are the ones that are meant to be a little imperfect. Malfatti translates to ‘badly formed,’ so don’t worry about making each dumpling look the same. That’s part of their rustic charm. These tender little dumplings are packed with spinach, ricotta, parmesan, breadcrumbs, and fresh basil. Then they’re gently simmered and bathed in a nutty brown butter sage sauce. Simple, homey, and incredibly satisfying.
Malfatti with Brown Butter and Crispy Sage
These rustic Italian smalfatti are tender spinach and ricotta dumplings made with Parmesan, breadcrumbs, and fresh basil, then tossed in a rich brown butter sage sauce. Simple, comforting, and perfectly imperfect.
Equipment
- 1 large pot
- 1 Large frying pan
Ingredients
Brown Butter Sage Sauce
- 1/2 cup butter, salted
- 2 tbsp walnuts, chopped, toasted
- 12 sage leaves
Malfatti Dumplings
- 1 tbsp butter, for frying
- 400 grams spinach, fresh
- 300 grams ricotta
- 1/4 cup parmesan, grated
- 1/2 cup all purpose flour
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk
- 2 tbsp seasoned Italian breadcrumbs
- 1 tbsp fresh basil, chopped
- 1/8 tsp freshly ground nutmeg
- 1 zest of a lemon, about 1 tbsp
- 1/2 tsp freshly cracked pepper
- 1/4 tsp salt
Instructions
Brown Butter Sage Sauce
- Note: you can make the brown butter sauce before you begin making the Malfatti or you can also make it when the malfatti are resting in the refrigerator.
- Heat a small skillet over medium heat. Add the walnuts and toast, stirring frequently, until lightly browned and fragrant, about 3–5 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside.
- In the same pan over medium heat, add the butter. Allow it to melt and begin to foam. Add the sage leaves and continue cooking, gently swirling the pan occasionally, until the butter turns a deep golden brown and develops a rich, nutty aroma, about 3–5 minutes. Stir in the toasted walnuts, remove from the heat, and set aside.
Malfatti
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the spinach and blanch for about 3 minutes or until wilted. Transfer the spinach to a colander and allow it to cool until it is safe to handle. Reserve the water for later.
- Once the spinach has cooled, squeeze out as much excess moisture as possible using a clean kitchen towel or your hands. Finely chop the spinach and transfer it to a large mixing bowl.
- Add the remaining dumpling ingredients to the spinach. Do not add the butter as it will be reserved for pan-frying later. Mix until well combined. Taste the mixture and adjust the seasoning with additional salt, if needed.
- Using your hands or a small scoop, form the mixture into oblong dumplings, placing them on a baking sheet and refrigerating for about 30 minutes before cooking.
- Right before removing the Malfatti from the refrigerator, bring the same pot of salted water you used for the spinach back to a gentle boil. Carefully add the dumplings and cook over medium-high heat, maintaining a gentle boil. Once the dumplings float to the surface, allow them to cook for an additional 1–2 minutes before removing them with a slotted spoon.
- Heat the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the cooked dumplings and pan-fry until lightly golden and crisp on each side. Then, pour the prepared brown butter sauce over the dumplings and gently toss until evenly coated and heated through.
- Remove from the heat and serve immediately.
Nutrition
Calories: 139kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 51mg | Sodium: 170mg | Potassium: 190mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 0.5g | Vitamin A: 2682IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 93mg | Iron: 1mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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