Malfatti on the Menu at Liquor Stores

One, glorious, unforgettable word: Malfatti.

If you don’t already know it, you should. It’s not a last name, a store, or a new wine varietal. It is, instead, a remarkable Italian pasta-like creation that has roots right here in Napa.

Malfatti (coming from the Italian “mal” and “fatti,” meaning “badly made”) is basically rejected ravioli dough that is filled with spinach, cooked in a meat-based tomato sauce, and simmered for hours.

Not one, but two local liquor stores cook up this homey Italian dish in their back kitchens.

on Jefferson Street and on Third Street are often filled with families, grandmas and folks like me, buying up quarts of this delicious Napa-style pasta.

Each liquor store creates its own original variety.

I grew up on Lawler’s malfatti, which is a little bit more meaty, and does not have the large amount of parmesan cheese that Val’s serves up.

Val’s recipe originated from the chefs at the now-defunct in south Napa, where rumor has it that malfatti was born.

It depends on your family loyalties, perhaps. Or maybe your loyalty to parmesan cheese. Either way, you can't go wrong. But my strong advice: Call ahead for your order, especially on weekends. And bring your own bowl -- it will save you 5 bucks. 

Malfatti is the perfect rainy-day food -- well, it's just the perfect food for me any day, but as fall comes into the valley and the rain settles in, it's a sure-fire way to make your house feel and smell like home.

Visit Val's Liquors at 1531 Third Street. Call ahead for your order at (707) 224-2237 or visit www.valsliquors.com.

Lawler's Liquors is at 2232 Jefferson St. and also takes orders by phone at (707) 226-9311.