Italian Canederli Dumplings

Italian dumplings, or canederli, are a delicious way to use up stale bread. Learn how to make them and serve in a brown butter sauce or soup broth.
By Kathy Bechtel

If I had to pick one dish to represent the regional cuisine of Trentino-Alto Adige or Sudtirol, canederli would be it. With it’s majestic terrain of mountains and river valleys, fascinating history as it has been caught between the Mediterranean influences to the south and Germanic peoples to the north, and over 300 days of sunshine annually, it is the perfect area to explore on a cycling tour or hiking adventure.

Canederli dumplings, or knödel in German, are the signature dish of Tyrol. These are large dumplings made with stale bread, milk, flour and egg, and flavored with a variety of different ingredients. They are a quintessential example of the ‘cucina povera’ of Italy, creating a dish out of your leftover stale bread and flavoring it with whatever you had on hand. They can be savory, and served as a first course (Canederli in Brodo or con Burro) or as a side dish to accompany meats, like a traditional goulash. You will also see sweet versions, often stuffed with fruits or creams and served for dessert.

In each valley they are cooked differently: in Val Passiria and Burgaviato we find varieties made with buckwheat, in the Puster Valley there are Canederli di Magro, or ‘skinny’ dumplings made without meat. In Val Venosta they might be steamed rather than poached. Different flavoring options abound, from speck, mushrooms, cheese, spinach, to nettles, turnips and sausage. The most typical version is the one I present today, Canederli di Speck, speck being the smoked prosciutto produced here in Trentino-Alto Adige. But gourmet versions of the humble canederli abound, from beet canederli (recipe here) to canederli with fresh porcini to ones stuffed with malga or farm cheeses.

I researched several recipes for canderli, and they all varied greatly as to the amount of flour used, from a couple of tablespoons to a cup or more. One recipe I translated from Italian recommended: “the bread must be perfectly dry and hard, several days old. The optimum consistency of the dough for the dumplings depends on various factors such as the size of the eggs, the type of bread, etc. So do not worry about the doses, but vary according to need.” Too much flour and they will be dense and heavy; too little, they will break apart during poaching (testing one is recommended) and they will not hold their rounded shape. So add the flour gradually, a bit at a time, and don’t feel you need to use all of it.

I provide two very typical ways of serving the canederli here – Canederli in Brodo are served in a rich beef or chicken broth, and Canederli al Burro Fuso, served in a browned butter sauce.

Italian Canederli Dumplings

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• Author: Kathy Bechtel
• Total Time: 40 minutes
• Yield: Serves 6
• Diet: Gluten-Free, Omnivore

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Description

These hearty dumplings are a delicious way to use stale bread. Serve them in a rich brown butter sauce or comforting broth.

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Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

• 8 ounces (227 g) stale white bread
• 1 1/2 cups (355 ml) milk
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1/2 onion
• 1/2 leek
• 2 tablespoons fresh Italian parsley
• 4 ounces (113 g) speck
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) to 1 cup (237 ml) flour
• Kosher salt
• freshly ground pepper
• 8 cups (1893 ml) good beef or chicken stock

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Instructions

1. Place the bread in a large bowl and add the milk. Stir to combine, and season with salt and pepper. Allow to rest for an hour, stirring occasionally.
2. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a saute pan over medium heat. Add the onion and leek and cook until translucent and soft, about 4 minutes. Allow to cool.
3. After the bread mixture has rested, add the onion-leek mixture, the parsley, speck, and the eggs. Thoroughly mix the ingredients with your hands, breaking up any larger pieces of bread and ensuring the speck, parsley, and onions are evenly distributed.
4. Begin adding the flour, 1/4 cup at a time, stirring to combine. Continue until the mixture is uniformly moist and slightly sticky. Add more flour if necessary.
5. Using floured hands, form the mixture into balls, about the size of a clementine. Roll each ball in flour, shake off the excess, and place on a sheet pan, leaving space between each.
6. If unsure of the consistency, poach one dumpling in boiling water for 10-12 minutes to test. Adjust flour as needed.
7. When ready to serve, bring broth or water to a simmer in a large pot. Add the canederli and poach for 12 minutes, stirring occasionally.

For Canederli in Brodo

1. Spoon the canederli and broth into bowls, top with grated grana cheese and minced chives, and serve immediately.

For Canederli in Burro

1. Remove the canederli from the poaching liquid and keep warm.
2. Melt 1/4 cup (60ml) of butter in a saute pan until brown and nutty.
3. Place 3 canederli on each plate, pour the browned butter over them, sprinkle with minced chives, grated grana cheese, and freshly ground black pepper. Optionally add chopped sage when browning the butter.

Notes

• For a richer flavor, use homemade chicken or beef stock instead of store-bought.
• If you don’t have speck, substitute with pancetta or finely diced prosciutto.
• To prevent sticking, ensure your hands and work surface are well-floured when shaping the dumplings.

• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 20 minutes
• Category: Main Course
• Method: Poaching
• Cuisine: Italian

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 2-3 dumplings per person
• Calories: 350
• Sugar: 5
• Sodium: 500
• Fat: 20
• Saturated Fat: 10
• Unsaturated Fat: 8
• Carbohydrates: 40
• Fiber: 4
• Protein: 15
• Cholesterol: 150

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