Can You Freeze Malfatti?
Malfatti is an Italian recipe made with spinach, ricotta, and parmesan. Malfatti, also known as Gnudi, resemble gnocchi because of their contents and appearance. But, malfatti does not contain pasta. Hence, the locals used to refer to malfatti as a naked ravioli. Malfatti is a unique dish made as balls or rolls of spinach and cheese cooked in boiling water. It is like the ricotta ravioli but without the pasta dough covering.
Malfatti has its origins in the Liguria region of Italy. The literal meaning of malfatti is ‘badly made.’ The name suits the dish well because it does not have any specific shape. However, malfatti can make vegetables more delicious.
Since malfatti is delicious, you could prepare more of the recipe than you could consume in a sitting. So, questions can arise about its preservation and storage. For example, how do you store malfatti, or can you refrigerate malfatti? These are common questions.
Can You Freeze Malfatti?
Malfatti is best consumed warm. It is possible to shape them six hours in advance. Generally, you refrigerate them by covering them with a damp cloth before cooking them. The good aspect is that you can freeze malfatti.
How Do You Freeze Malfatti?
Malfatti does not have any specific shape. But, it is possible to freeze malfatti after you shape them into balls or logs.
- Prepare the malfatti in the desired shape making it easy to freeze. We advise coating the malfatti in cornstarch or plain flour to prevent them from sticking to one another.
- Place the flour-coated malfatti balls or logs on a baking plate lined with parchment paper. Please ensure they stand at a distance from each other.
- Push the baking plate into the freezer and let it remain for an hour. The dumplings solidify. Then, you can remove the malfatti dumplings from the baking plate and transfer them to a freezer bag.
- Press the freezing gently without damaging the frozen malfatti to remove all traces of air from inside. It ensures that the malfatti does not get exposed to air that could cause freezer burn.
- Seal the bag and press the label containing the contents and the date written clearly. It helps to identify the frozen contents and monitor the freezing process properly.
- Place the freezer bag in the freezer and avoid placing other food items over it. You can wait for a few hours before relocating the bag to stand on its sides after the malfatti balls have frozen. It can help free space in the freezer.
How Long Can You Keep The Malfatti Frozen Fresh?
The frozen malfatti remains fresh for consumption for up to one month. However, we suggest not to wait that long to consume it. You can finish it earlier and enjoy the delicious taste. However, freezing the malfatti does not affect its taste, texture, and flavor.
How Do You Defrost The Frozen Malfatti?
Usually, you do not defrost the malfatti. Instead, you can directly toss them into salted boiling water from the freezer without thawing.
However, you thaw the frozen malfatti inside the refrigerator. Then, transfer the frozen malfatti from the freezer to the fridge and leave it overnight. The change in the temperature levels allows the malfatti to defrost naturally.
Does Freezing Affect Malfatti?
Malfatti is usually dry unless you freeze it with the sauce. Hence, freezing malfatti does not affect its texture and taste. However, it contains parmesan cheese. Therefore, we do not recommend freezing malfatti for extended periods. Instead, it is advisable to consume malfatti as quickly as possible.
Can You Refreeze Malfatti?
Theoretically, you can refreeze the malfatti. But, it can change its texture. Therefore, we do not recommend refreezing malfatti.
Can You Reheat Gnudi Or Malfatti?
Yes, you can reheat malfatti by placing the frozen balls into a pot of salted boiling water. It takes no more than two minutes to cook them. Besides, it is also possible to cook gnudi in the microwave. Place the gnudi or the malfatti on a microwave-safe plate and microwave it for a few seconds. If the malfatti is dry, you can place a water bowl inside the microwave.
Can You Refrigerate The Malfatti?
You can refrigerate the malfatti in the fridge, provided you cover them adequately. They can remain fresh for four days. If you wish to preserve them for extended periods, you can freeze the malfatti.
Can You Freeze Cooked Malfatti?
It is possible to freeze cooked malfatti the way described here.
Can You Freeze Uncooked Malfatti?
You can freeze uncooked malfatti similarly.
Can You Freeze Leftover Malfatti?
You can free malfatti leftovers after removing the other food debris that sticks to them. However, we suggest consuming the frozen malfatti leftovers as quickly as possible.
Can You Freeze Ricotta Gnudi?
Yes, there are no problems freezing ricotta gnudi. However, ricotta has high moisture content. Therefore, there are chances of the ricotta gnudi becoming mushy when defrosting.
Can You Freeze Gnocchi Gnudi?
You can freeze gnocchi gnudi the same way described here.
Can You Freeze Malfatti With Tomato Sauce?
It is possible to freeze malfatti with tomato sauce.
Can You Freeze Gnudi In Mushroom Broth?
Gnudi freezes well with mushroom broth. You can freeze gnudi with mushroom broth comfortably.
Can You Freeze Homemade Malfatti Pasta?
Yes, it is possible to freeze homemade malfatti pasta. The flash freezing method is the best way to freeze the malfatti pasta.
Can You Freeze Store-Bought Malfatti?
Yes, it is possible to freeze the store-bought malfatti the same way you freeze homemade malfatti.
Can You Freeze Malfatti Prepared With Egg Yolk?
Malfatti freezes well, and so does egg yolk. So, you can freeze malfatti prepared with egg yolk. However, we recommend defrosting the malfatti with egg yolk inside the fridge.
Final Thoughts
Malfatti is an ideal recipe to induce people to eat vegetables. It is suitable for children who do not like vegetables. Malfatti is a versatile recipe as it can be used with different foods. You can have it with sauce. You can place the malfatti dumplings in soup and have them. So, it is possible that you could prepare it in excess. However, you need not worry because we have seen that it is easy to freeze malfatti, provided you take the requisite precautions.
So, can you freeze malfatti? The answer is YES. You can freeze malfatti.
Image Source – https://eatsmarter.com/recipes/italian-style-cheese-and-spinach-dumplings-malfatti
