Malfatti

Malfatti (Siena) or gnudi (lit. naked, Florence) are typical of Sienese cuisine, but it's believed that they probably originated in Northern Italy. These spinach gnocchi are made by hand, and due to the fact that they are not uniform in shape or size, they're called malfatti, meaning badly made. They are made with a combination of cooked spinach, a pinch of salt, butter, ricotta, eggs, nutmeg, parmesan cheese, and a binding agent such as flour, semolina, or breadcrumbs. Once the mixture becomes smooth, it's shaped into small balls that are rolled in flour before being boiled. Malfatti are cooked when they float to the surface, at which point they're usually drained and served with a sauce (usually a simple tomato sauce or butter and sage).