Constantly searching for recipes from my region, I found this one that intrigued me, The Rabaton, similar to gnocchi (you can find the gnocchi recipe here), but cylindrical, they can be prepared with spinach, chard, or other wild greens. They are typical of Alessandria and specifically from a small village called Litta Parodi and I assure you they are uniquely delicious. The serving size should be 7 rabaton per person, but I think you won’t have enough! Also try the gnudi, the recipe here.

Difficulty: Easy
Cost: Low
Preparation time: 30 Minutes
Portions: 4/5 people about 30 rabaton
Cooking methods: Oven
Cuisine: Italian Regional

Ingredients

23 oz spinach (fresh, about 18 oz once cooked)
1.25 cups ricotta
6.5 oz Parmigiano Reggiano DOP (grated, 2.75 oz of which for the topping)
2 eggs
2 pinches fine salt
1 clove garlic
3.5 oz breadcrumbs (plus two tablespoons for the baking dishes)
1 slice white bread (about 0.7 oz)
3.5 oz all-purpose flour
3.5 oz butter (plus about 0.7 oz for the baking dishes)
10 leaves sage

Preparation

Defrost the already cooked spinach (my frozen ones weighed 32 oz, once defrosted and squeezed they became 23 oz). Put them in a mixer and chop them finely.
In a large bowl, put the chopped spinach, breadcrumbs, crumbled white bread, 3.5 oz of grated Parmigiano, salt, pepper, finely chopped garlic, ricotta, eggs and mix with your hands. Taste and adjust salt if necessary.
You should get a slightly dry, compact but easily workable mixture.
Take a bit of dough and create cylinders about 2 to 2.5 inches high and as wide as a finger. Roll them in flour.
In a large pot, put about 2 quarts of meat broth (you can also use a bouillon cube), as soon as it boils add the rabaton a few at a time to cook. It takes just a few seconds, as soon as they float to the surface, they are ready. Drain them with a slotted spoon.
Place them directly in a baking dish previously buttered and sprinkled with breadcrumbs. Arrange them next to each other.
Melt the butter, sprinkle the rabaton with the melted butter, the remaining 2.75 oz of Parmigiano, and sage leaves. Bake in the oven at 350°F for about 10 minutes. If needed, turn on the grill for a few seconds to brown the surface.
And enjoy your meal!