Name: Italian Spinach Ricotta Dumplings
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 11 min
Total time: 26 min
Cuisine: casserole recipes, dumpling recipes, spinach recipes
Ingredients: 1 - 1/2 cups whole milk Ricotta 1 bag around 10 ounces of (fresh spinach I recommend) torn into small pieces or use frozen chopped with all water squeezed out and patted dry; 1 cup blend of Romano and Parmesan cheese grated plus more for serving over the top; 1 tablespoon granulated garlic; 1 teaspoon freshly minced garlic; 6 tablespoons flour and more for rolling; 2 eggs; pinch of freshly grated nutmeg; freshly ground pepper and sea salt to taste; pinch of cayenne pepper2 1/2 tablespoons butter; 3 cups of Freshly Made Marinara Sauce (or use a good grade store-bought Marinara jarred sauce with fresh basil); Garnish suggestions: freshly grated black pepper, shredded mozzarella cheese, a dollop of fresh whole milk ricotta cheese, chopped parsley, and fresh basil. For meat lovers, make some fried Italian meatballs on the side!

Being a huge fan of Potato Gnocchi, this style larger these Italian Spinach Ricotta Dumplings are a bit wonky in style but to my surprise a delicious addition to my Italian recipe collection.

These dumplings are loaded with flavor, the spinach is just the right ingredient to be drowning in a pool of fabulous homemade marinara sauce, even the pickiest of eaters loved these.

I just love the ricotta, spinach, and cheese combination they make a much lighter combination together it's a very "pillowy" kind of dish, unlike the often denser, chewier gnocchi.

These are seriously easy and can be made in no time unlike the rolling and cutting of pasta recipes, then boiled and plated with a simmering delectable homemade marinara sauce.

Make the sauce ahead of time to have a quicker weeknight meal in no time or you can substitute a jarred version to make sure it's super fantastic and top-notch in flavor.

Maybe you heard these called "malfatti"(which means badly formed in Italian) as they're a traditional Italian dumpling made out of spinach and ricotta then bound together with a little flour and egg, some parts of Italy call them "gnudi".

Never mind what these rustic style dumplings are called, if you're ready to taste a unique style of this cuisine of Italian Spinach Ricotta Dumpling, scroll all the way down to the end for this amazingly simple recipe.

spinach dumplings boiling in fresh marinara sauce

Dumplings with Ricotta

These spinach and ricotta dumplings are so much lighter than a doughy style and super flavorful besides being easy to make.

These dumplings are added to a baking dish, smothered on the top with sauce, grated cheese, shredded mozzarella cheese, and broiled until browned is a casserole lover's dream.

We also love this dish served over rice, or for meat-lovers, crushed meatballs or leftover sliced sausage from the Traditional Sunday Sauce and sometimes even mashed potatoes but this is delicious all by itself.

This can be a whole hearty meal, or a light appetizer side dish, either way, this dumpling is simply elegant to serve and a tasty Italian memorable meal.

The best part is not only being simple to make, these pillowy dumplings will impress everyone you serve when you're hosting a party.

Tips

Always add salt to the water while boiling the dumplings
for best-tasting results use fresh organic spinach
you can use chicken broth instead of water to boil these in
Use whole milk ricotta the others are too watery
Only use freshly grated cheese Pecorino Romano and Parmesan in the dumplings
You can use a traditional homemade sauce or store-bought meat sauce if you prefer instead of marinara
Meatballs or Italian Sausage are good sides if you have meat-lovers
These DO NOT freeze well due to the water content in the spinach and ricotta
Broil the top at the end if you want a casserole effect with mozzarella on top
Great served over mashed potatoes, white boiled rice, and of course pasta
TEST one before making the whole batch to make sure it stays together, (as I mentioned sometimes too much moisture will ruin the dish)add a tablespoon of flour at a time and test small amounts until they are the right consistency. The recipe has always been perfect for me the way it is.

these are Italian spinach gnocchi dumplings

Spinach Substitutions:

chopped escarole
chopped swiss chard
chopped kale
chopped arugula

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Easy Italian Meal

These spinach dumplings are really a nice alternative to pasta so don't count them out.

Sure they have a few extra steps but so much easier than making a cut-and-roll pasta dumpling.

These can even be made into smaller dumplings and served at parties as an appetizer, they're so yummy.

A light summer meal that is perfect for warmer weather. Ricotta with spinach in a pool of homemade fresh marinara sauce.

Please share your thoughts and comments if you try them we would love to hear from you.

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Italian dumplings, spinach dumplings, Italian casseroles, spinach dumpling recipes, gnocchi alternatives, pasta alternative recipes

casserole recipes, dumpling recipes, spinach recipes

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Author: Claudia Lamascolo