These are made with arugula, ricotta, egg, Parmigiano Reggiano, and just enough flour to hold them together. The mixture is shaped into ovals rather than balls; a small departure from the traditional round; that gives each piece a little more surface area to catch the sauce. They cook in simmering water and are done when they float, which is the most reliable instruction in all of pasta cooking. The pecorino and mascarpone sauce that receives them is glossy, rich, and takes about five minutes to make.
This is a recipe for two that makes a proper plateful, not a side, not a starter, a meal. The arugula gives the malfatti a slight bitterness that cuts through the richness of the sauce, and the two together make a bowl that tastes like considerably more work went into it than actually did.
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Key Ingredients in This Recipe
You’ll find the complete list of ingredients and exact quantities in the recipe below.
FOR THE MALFATTI
- Arugula – or use spinach
- Butter
- Ricotta
- Flour
- Eggs
- Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
FOR THE PECORINO SAUCE
- Pecorino Romano cheese
- Butter
- Mascarpone cheese
- Milk
How to Make Arugula Malfatti with Pecorino Sauce
Step 1 – Heat butter in a skillet, add the arugula and cook it for a minute, so it wilts. Take off the heat and allow to cool. Then chop.
Step 2 – Mix ricotta, flour, egg, egg yolk in a bowl.
Step 3 – Add grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and finely chopped arugula and mix again. Add, salt, pepper and nutmeg to taste.
Place mixture in the fridge while you bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
Step 4 – With two wet dessert spoons, scoop up a heaped dessert spoon of ricotta mixture and shape it into an oval. Place about 5 in the simmering water and when they float to the top, take them out with a slotted spoon. Place them on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. No need to do this in a neat way, we’re not going to bake them. Try to keep them warm by keeping the sheet in a warm oven. Yield is about 20.
Step 5 – While you’re cooking the malfatti, make the cheese sauce, by slowly heating Pecorino Romano cheese, Mascarpone cheese, butter and milk in a skillet. Do not boil, but warm and stir until cheese melts. Add salt & pepper to taste.
- Step 6 – Divide the malfatti over 2 plates or bowls and pour the cheese sauce over it. Decorate with arugula and serve with some extra grated Pecorino Romao cheese.
Note: Pasta cools very quickly, so it always helps to preheat your plates or bowls before serving.
You may see recipes for Gnudi, that’s the same thing, just another name from another area in Italy.
Other Gnocchi Recipes to Try
Arugula Malfatti with Pecorino Sauce
Pin Recipe FacebookIngredients
For the Malfatti
- 0.5 ounces butter
- 3.5 ounces arugula (NOTE 1)
- 7 ounces ricotta
- 2.5 ounces flour
- 1 egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 1.5 ounces Parmigiano Reggiano, finely grated
- nutmeg
- salt & pepper
For the Pecorino Sauce
- 2.5 ounces Pecorino Romano cheese, finely grated
- 1.5 ounces Mascarpone cheese
- 1 ounces butter
- 1/3 cup milk
Instructions
- Heat butter in a skillet, add the arugula and cook it for a minute, so it wilts. Take off the heat and allow to cool. Then chop.
- Mix ricotta, flour, egg, egg yolk in a bowl.
- Add the grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and the finely chopped arugula and mix again. Add, salt, pepper and nutmeg to taste.
- Place mixture in the fridge while you bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
- With 2 wet dessert spoons, scoop up a heaped dessert spoon of ricotta mixture and shape it into an oval. Place about 5 in the simmering water and when they float to the top, take them out with a slotted spoon. Place them on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. No need to do this in a neat way, as long as they are not on top of each other. Try to keep them warm by keeping the sheet in a warm oven. Yield is about 20. (NOTE 2)
- While you’re cooking the malfatti, make the cheese sauce, by slowly heating Pecorino Romano cheese, Mascarpone cheese, butter and milk in a skillet. Do not boil, but warm until cheese melts (stir regularly). Add salt & pepper to taste.
- Divide the malfatti over 2 plates or bowls and pour the cheese sauce over it. Decorate with arugula and serve at the table with some extra grated Pecorino Romao cheese.
Notes
- Instead of arugula, you can use spinach. If using spinach, make sure to squeeze as much water out of it as possible. Spinach contains way more water than arugula.
- Instead of dessert spoons you can use smaller spoons and thus the cooking time will be less.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.