Baked Tuscan gnudi (malfatti) with homemade tomato sauce and mozzarella

Name: Baked Tuscan gnudi (malfatti) with homemade tomato sauce and mozzarella
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 1 h 30 min
Yield: 4 serving
Ingredients: 400 g fresh ricotta; 400 g fresh spinach; 1 egg; 1 egg yolk; 100 g parmigiano reggiano; 60 g all purpose flour; 1 pinch nutmeg; salt; black pepper; 350 g tomato passata; 2 garlic cloves; 6-8 basil leaves; 400 g fresh mozzarella; 6-8 sage leaves; 100 g butter

User Reviews

5.0

54 reviews

Excellent

Prep Time
30 mins
Cook Time
1 hr
Resting time
2 hrs
Total Time
1 hr 30 mins
Servings
4
Calories
896 kcal
Course
Main Course
Cuisine
Italian

Baked Tuscan gnudi (malfatti) with homemade tomato sauce and mozzarella

Daisy Meyer

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In this baked Tuscan gnudi (malfatti) recipe, melt-in-your-mouth spinach and ricotta dumplings from Tuscany are cooked in a delicious homemade tomato sauce with mozzarella.

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Ingredients

Servings

400 g fresh ricotta (14 oz) sheep or cow's ricotta
400 g fresh spinach
1 egg
1 egg yolk
100 g parmigiano reggiano (3.5oz) grated or hard cheese without rennet for vegetarians
60 g all purpose flour (2oz) or Italian 00 flour
1 pinch nutmeg grated
salt to taste
black pepper to taste

For tomato sauce and mozzarella

350 g tomato passata (12oz) I use Cirio rustica. It's chunkier.
2 garlic cloves peeled
6-8 basil leaves
400 g fresh mozzarella (14oz)

For sage butter

6-8 sage leaves
100 g butter (3.5oz)

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Instructions

Make the gnudi (malfatti)

Wash your spinach and boil in a little salted water for about 8 minutes, then drain and leave to cool a bit, wring out well and chop finely.
Drain the ricotta of any liquid and put it in a bowl with the spinach, ⅔ of the grated Parmigiano, the egg, the egg yolk and the flour, after passing it through a sieve. Grate a little nutmeg into the mixture. Add salt and pepper as required.
Mix everything carefully with a fork. You can also use your hands but you don’t want to knead this dough, just make sure all the ingredients are well incorporated. Cover the bowl with cling film and leave it to rest for at least 2 hours in the fridge.

Make the tomato sauce if baking your gnudi

Peel the garlic. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan. Add the garlic, once it starts to soften add the tomato passata and basil leaves. Simmer for 15-20 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste and remove the garlic cloves when the sauce is ready.
Drain the mozzarella and cut into small slices or cubes.

Finish the gnudi

Place some baking paper on a tray and sprinkle with flour. Take about a flat tablespoon full of gnudi mixture and form into a ball. You can use wet hands to make the balls. I use an ice-cream/melon scope or a tablespoon to get the same quantity of gnudi mixture for each ball. Place the gnudi on the tray and roll a little to cover each ball slightly in flour.
Put a pot of water onto boil. Cook the gnudi in the boiling water for 2-4 minutes, when they come to the surface, allow a few seconds and then remove with a slotted spoon. The time it takes your gnudi to rise to the surface will depend on how big they are.

If serving with sage butter

If you are serving with sage butter while the water is boiling and the gnudi are cooking, melt the butter in a skillet or frying pan. Add the sage leaves to the butter and cook until they start to crisp. Both the butter and the sage need to be a little brown but not burnt. Plate the gnudi and pour over the sage butter. Add some grated parmesan and black pepper if required.

If baking your gnudi

If you are making baked Tuscan gnudi, put the tomato sauce into an oven dish. Place the cooked gnudi in the sauce. Add the pieces of mozzarella. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan and bake in a preheated oven at 180 ° until the mozzarella has melted and the top has just started to brown. 10-15 minutes. Serve immediately!

Notes

The number of gnudi (malfatti) you make will depend on the size. Cooking times will also vary depending on the size of your gnudi.

Nutrition Information

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Calories 896kcal (45%) Carbohydrates 30g (10%) Protein 51g (102%) Fat 65g (100%) Saturated Fat 39g (195%) Polyunsaturated Fat 3g Monounsaturated Fat 18g Trans Fat 1g Cholesterol 290mg (97%) Sodium 1394mg (58%) Potassium 1197mg (34%) Fiber 4g (16%) Sugar 6g (12%) Vitamin A 11921IU (238%) Vitamin C 38mg (42%) Calcium 1148mg (115%) Iron 6mg (33%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 4Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 896 kcal

% Daily Value*

Calories	896kcal	45%
Carbohydrates	30g	10%
Protein	51g	102%
Fat	65g	100%
Saturated Fat	39g	195%
Polyunsaturated Fat	3g	18%
Monounsaturated Fat	18g	90%
Trans Fat	1g	50%
Cholesterol	290mg	97%
Sodium	1394mg	58%
Potassium	1197mg	25%
Fiber	4g	16%
Sugar	6g	12%
Vitamin A	11921IU	238%
Vitamin C	38mg	42%
Calcium	1148mg	115%
Iron	6mg	33%