Malfatti of Spinach & Ricotta

[kirra]

Malfatti of Spinach & Ricotta
Chris Kastner of CK's Real Food: Ketchum, ID

Ingredients:

2 pounds fresh spinach leaves, washed, blanched, cooled, squeezed dry & roughly chopped
2 cups ricotta, drained in cheesecloth overnight
2 eggs
2 cups grated parmesan
1/4 cup flour, maybe more
freshly grated nutmeg, to taste
salt & pepper to taste

Preparation:

Make sure that your spinach is well drained and squeezed. There should be no water oozing out of the spinach onto the counter or in the bowl it is hanging around in.

Combine the chopped spinach and ricotta in the food processor and puree together until combined. Just a few 5 second pulses as we want to maintain a little rustic character to the mix. Put this mix in a mixing bowl to finish by hand.

Work in the parmesan and the beaten egg. Then keep mixing with your hand and add in the flour a little at a time until the dough begins to tighten up and feel like it will hold together. Test a small scoop to be sure it will remain bound by dropping in boiling water, it will float within a minute then cook it another 2 minutes more or less depending on how big your scoop was. If it falls apart it needs a little more flour. Try again.

When it is correct, chill it for an hour. Sprinkle some corn meal or semolina on the sheet pan, then scoop with an ice cream scoop or spoons and form it into ping pong ball sized spheres. Roll them in your hand with a little semolina so they won't stick to you, the pan and each other. This recipe makes about 30 malfatti.