← Nouns Cooking · Italian

Ingredients

• 250 g stale white bread or rolls, cut into 1 cm cubes
• 200 ml Milk
• 2 Eggs
• 100 g Speck (smoked cured ham), finely diced
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 20 g Butter
• 2 tbsp Chives, chopped, plus extra to serve
• 40 g plain flour, plus extra for rolling
• 1 pinch Nutmeg
• 1.5 l good beef broth
• Salt
• 30 g grated Parmesan, to serve (optional)

Method

1. Melt the butter in a small pan over medium heat and soften the onion for 5 min. Add the speck for 2 min, then cool.
2. Beat the eggs with the milk, a pinch of salt and the nutmeg. Pour over the bread cubes, add the onion mixture and chives and mix with your hands. Leave for 20 min so the bread softens.
3. Mix in the flour; the dough should hold its shape when squeezed. With wet hands, shape 12 firm balls the size of a small egg and roll them lightly in flour.
4. Bring a large pan of salted water to a gentle simmer (cooking them separately keeps the broth clear). Lower in the dumplings and simmer for 15 min, without a rolling boil.
5. Meanwhile, heat the broth. Lift the canederli out with a slotted spoon, put 3 in each bowl, ladle the hot broth over and finish with chives and Parmesan.

Tips

• Leftover canederli are lovely sliced and fried in butter, or served dry with melted butter and cheese.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

Inside The Rustic Kitchen Great Italian Chefs Pasta Grammar