Spinach and ricotta dumplings

By Christine Jazwinski MS ACSM EP-C Eat Well

I love comfort food. Unfortunately, a lot of my favorites can be pretty unhealthy. I found this recipe and decided to give it a try because it seemed similar to one of my all-time favorite meals, stuffed shells. The dumplings are essentially stuffed shells without the shell! I can get all the warm and cheesy goodness of stuffed shells without extra calories, and the addition of spinach gets me some vitamins and minerals.

Ingredients

10 oz. package of frozen spinach
⅓ cup flour
1½ cup part-skim ricotta cheese
½ cup shredded parmesan cheese
¼ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper
¼ tsp. ground nutmeg
2 egg yolks
1 egg
1½ cup marinara sauce of your choice

Directions

Cook spinach in the microwave as the package instructs. Cool it for a little, and then squeeze it with paper towel until it is very dry.
Combine all the ingredients listed, except for the marinara sauce, in a medium bowl and stir gently until well blended.
Drop ricotta mixture by spoonful onto nonstick baking sheet (should make about 36 dumplings). Sprinkle dumplings with some flour and shape into balls.
Place the marinara sauce in a skillet and keep it warm.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil, and then reduce it to medium-low heat. Add about 6 dumplings to the water and cook for 6 minutes (don’t boil them or they will start to fall apart). Remove the dumplings with a slotted spoon and place in the marinara to stay warm while the rest of the dumplings are being cooked.