Spinach and ricotta malfatti with tomato-sage sauce

The world of pasta and gnocchi is unbelievably extensive and complex. We are accustomed to a world of pasta in boxes, which can be found in most grocery stores, but this world extends far beyond that. Every small village and town in Italy and its surrounding areas has a world of pasta waiting to be discovered. Unique shapes, complex sauces, and soft, delicate gnocchi dominate this world and are always welcome at my table.

Gnocchi is slowly gaining popularity in India, and today it is being showcased by some of the country's premier chefs. But there are many variations to the traditional gnocchi, and malfatti is one such delicacy.

Malfatti means "badly made" and this is where the beauty of this dish lies. Malfatti is for the home chef with no pasta skills. These balls are ugly, misshapen and obtuse, but then they are the most delicious form of pasta I have ever made. Its origins are thought to be in Lombardy or Tuscany, where cucina povera, or "poor cooking" without frills, dominates the cuisine.

The magic in this dish is the softness of the malfatti. It's like a cross between a gnocchi and a ravioli, soft, fluffy, and melt-in-your-mouth perfect. The flavours are delicate and complemented by the robust tomato-sage sauce.

This is one of those cookbooks that hides on my shelf, a common problem with having a library of cookbooks. It is a beautiful cookbook filled with wonderful Venetian recipes. I had the opportunity to experience the excellent cuisine of this beautiful city firsthand. The locals are proud of it and always claim that their cuisine is the best in Italy. But we also heard that phrase repeated in Florence and Rome! You will see me cook more from here soon.

For more recipes from this cookbook, click here.

Ingredients:

1 lb baby spinach

1 cup Italian "00" flour

1 cup ricotta

1 large egg, lightly whisked

2 1/2 cups grated Parmesan cheese

1 teaspoon pepper

Salt, to taste

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1 1/2 cups semolina

Grated Parmesan, to garnish

For the tomato-sage sauce:

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

6 tomatoes, finely chopped

Salt, to taste

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons dried sage

Start by making the tomato-sage sauce. Heat the oil in a small pot and fry the garlic till lightly golden. Add the tomatoes, salt, sugar, and sage, and cook on low heat for 20 minutes, until you have a thick sauce. The tomatoes should be completely broken down. Add a taste for salt and sage, and adjust as needed. Set aside and keep warm on the stove.

To make the malfatti, steam or blanch the spinach in water for 2 minutes. Cool and drain thoroughly by pressing down on the spinach. Chop finely.

Mix all the ingredients for the malfatti, except the semolina. You should have a dry mess that sticks together.

Add some of the semolina to a wine glass and gently drop in a table tennis-sized ball of the mix. Swirl around, coating the ball with semolina. Remove and repeat this process with the remaining malfatti balls.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a gentle boil. Gently drop in the malfatti balls. Once the balls are cooked, about 3 minutes later, they will rise to the surface. Scoop them out with a slotted spoon and drain in a colander. Work quickly so the malfatti does not cool down.

Layer a spoonful of the tomato-sage sauce on a plate. Add the matfatti balls to the sauce and garnish with Parmesan. Serve while hot.