This is a meatless Tuscany gnochi; very tasteful and more fun to cook than anything I know about. Malfatti means badly made in literal translation but that is a libel on this dish.

Ingredients for 12: 1/2 loaf Italian bread 1 finely chopped onion 1 garlic clove, finely chopped (more if you like garlic) 2 tbsp. olive oil 1 c. dry bread crumbs 1 c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese 1/2 c. chopped fresh parsley 1 tsp. salt 1/4 tsp. ground pepper 1 tsp. dried basil 4 eggs, lightly beaten Flour for dusting 3 c. marinara sauce, preferably homemade Grated Parmesan cheese

Cook the fresh spinach in the water clinging to it after washing or cook the frozen spinach according to package instructions. Drain and squeeze out as much water as possible and coarsely chop. Soak the bread in hot water and squeeze dry. Saute the onion and the garlic in olive oil until tender. Mix the spinach, pieces of the bread, sauteed onion and garlic together and put through the finest blade of your meat grinder.

Add the bread crumbs, cup of cheese, parsley, salt, pepper, and basil. Stir in the eggs. With floured hands shape the mixture into sausage link type dumplings.

Bring a kettle of salted water to a rolling boil; add just a few of the dumplings and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook until (you won't believe this until you try it) the malfatti pop to the top of the water where you remove them with a slotted spoon. Drain and place in a greased baking dish. Spoon the marinara sauce over the malfatti; sprinkle with cheese and reheat under the broiler. These can be made ahead of time and reheated when needed.