The malfatti is Napa city's one genuinely local contribution to the history of American cooking: spinach-and-ricotta dumplings created by Theresa Tamburelli at the Depot Restaurant in Napa in the early 20th century. The name means 'badly made' in Italian (the dumplings are intentionally rough-shaped), and the recipe combines farm eggs, ricotta, blanched spinach and Parmesan in proportions that are richer than standard Italian malfatti. Tamburelli served them in a simple butter-and-sage sauce. The recipe passed through the century, and today Clemente's Authentic Italian on West Imola Avenue continues the Napa tradition. The dish predates the fine-dining wave and the wine-tourism boom; it is the food that Italian immigrant families in the Napa Valley were cooking before anyone knew what Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.
Featured by TableJourney as a signature dish of Napa. See where to eat Malfatti in Napa or the Napa signature dishes guide.
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