Malfatti, roughly translated to “badly made” in Italian, celebrates the beauty of imperfection. These purposefully misshapen northern Italian dumplings stand as a reminder that dishes don’t need to be perfect to be loved. In my family, Malfatti is served every New Year; it is a tradition we look forward to, as a practice to welcome the upcoming year. It stands as a symbol of tradition, family, and embracing flaws.

This specific recipe is from my Grandmother.

Ingredients:
500g fresh spinach
200g ricotta cheese
150g shredded parmesan
2 small eggs
2 egg yolks
About 150g flour
Nutmeg to taste
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
5 tbsp butter

Instructions:
Wash, then blanch the spinach in simmering water for one minute. Drain and squeeze out all the excess water. Dry well, then chop finely.

Mash the ricotta with a fork, then with a spoon, mix with the spinach, parmesan, eggs, egg yolks, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Gradually add in the flour until the dough holds its shape nicely. The dough should be tacky to the touch, but not extremely sticky.

With two small spoons, form walnut-sized football-shaped nuggets and put them aside. Boil and salt a large pot of water and add in the shaped dough. Cook for around five minutes. When the dough floats on top of the water, let it simmer for another three to four minutes to ensure it is cooked fully through. Take the Malfatti out of the water and place them onto a platter.

Melt the butter and pour over the Malfatti. Top the dish off with shredded parmesan.