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Ricotta and Tuscan kale malfatti
- Difficulty: Easy
- Prep time: 50 min
- Cook time: 30 min
- Serving: 8
- Cost: Low
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PRESENTATION
Ricotta and Tuscan kale malfatti are soft, ricotta-based dumplings whose uneven shape is part of the point — the name literally means "badly made," and perfectly uniform pieces are never the goal. The cavolo nero goes through three deliberate steps before it enters the dough: blanched, squeezed dry, then pan-cooked with onion to drive off remaining moisture and concentrate its flavor.
Eggs, breadcrumbs, and grated cheese bind everything together, with no pasta sheet enclosing the filling — a structure this kale malfatti shares with Tuscan gnudi, though the two dishes stand apart. Brown butter and sage is the dressing, and it suits the dish well: direct enough to let the filling carry the meal. A thorough squeeze of the blanched cavolo nero is the one step that really matters for texture, keeping the dough soft without turning slack.
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INGREDIENTS
- Makes about 60 malfatti
- Italian kale (cavolo nero) 1.3 lbs (600 g) - to be cleaned
- Cow's milk ricotta cheese 1 cup (250 g)
- Type 00 flour 1.7 cups (200 g) - Approximately 1 2/3 cups
- Parmigiano Reggiano PDO cheese 4.2 oz (120 g)
- Breadcrumbs 0.7 cup (80 g) - Approx. 2/3 cup
- Onions ½
- Eggs 2
- Butter 1 ½ tbsp (20 g)
- Nutmeg to taste
- Fine salt to taste
- For dressing
- Butter 3 ½ tbsp (50 g)
- Sage 1 sprig
- Parmigiano Reggiano PDO cheese to taste
Preparation
How to prepare Ricotta and Tuscan kale malfatti
To prepare the Tuscan kale malfatti, first clean the Tuscan kale by separating the leaves from the stems 1. Blanch the kale leaves for about 5–7 minutes 2, then drain and squeeze them well by hand 3.
Coarsely chop the Tuscan kale with a knife 4 and set aside. Peel and finely chop the onion 5, then add it to a pan where you have melted the butter 6 and let it soften for a few minutes.
Add the chopped Tuscan kale, season with salt and sauté over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes, until the liquid has evaporated 7. Turn off the heat and let cool slightly. Meanwhile, in a bowl add the flour, grated Parmigiano Reggiano 8 and the breadcrumbs 9.
Also add the ricotta 10, the eggs 11, a pinch of salt 12 and ground nutmeg.
Add the lukewarm Tuscan kale 13 and mix everything with a spoon 14. Transfer the mixture to the work surface and continue kneading with your hands 15 until you obtain a homogeneous, but not too firm, consistency.
Now take about 20 g of dough at a time (about 3/4 oz) 16 and shape it between your hands into a cylinder 17. Arrange the malfatti on a tray lined with parchment paper as you go; with these quantities you will get about 60 18.
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Meanwhile, put the butter in a pan 19, add the sage leaves 20 and let it melt over low heat until it becomes brown butter. Drop a few malfatti at a time into the boiling water, counting 4–5 minutes from when they float to the surface 21.
Drain the malfatti and transfer them to the pan with the browned butter 22. Briefly toss them to coat 23, then plate and drizzle with the cooking juices. Serve your Tuscan kale malfatti immediately, finishing with grated cheese to taste 34!
Storage
Tip
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