Tris di Canederli

Tris di Canederli (Bread, Spinach & Cheese Dumplings)

A trio of South Tyrolean canederli showcasing the classic trio of plain bread, spinach, and cheese dumplings, simmered in broth and finished with browned butter and Parmesan.

Prep

30 min

Cook

25 min

Total

55 min

Serves

6 (makes 18 dumplings, 3 per person)

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •400 g (14 oz) stale white bread, crusts removed and cut into 1 cm cubes, day-old, rustic Italian loaf preferred
• •300 ml (1¼ cups) whole milk, lukewarm
• •3 whole (3 large) eggs, lightly beaten
• •120 g (4¼ oz) speck or pancetta, finely diced, traditional; omit for a vegetarian set
• •1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
• •60 g (½ cup) 00 flour or all-purpose flour
• •30 g (¼ cup) flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
• •1 tsp fine sea salt
• •freshly grated nutmeg, ¼
• •black pepper, Freshly
• •300 g (10½ oz) mature spinach, fresh or thawed frozen, well-drained and chopped
• •200 g (7 oz) fresh ricotta, drained
• •150 g (5¼ oz) Alpen-style or provola cheese, diced into 5 mm cubes, traditionally Stelvio or Asiago; any semi-hard cow's-milk cheese works
• •50 g (1¾ oz) Parmigiano-Reggiano, finely grated
• •2 L (8 cups) beef or light meat broth, for simmering, traditionally a brodo di carne; vegetable broth is fine
• •60 g (¼ cup) unsalted butter
• •6 fresh sage (6 leaves) sage leaves

Steps

1. 1 Cook the speck with the diced onion in a small dry pan over medium heat for 4-5 minutes until the onion is translucent and the fat renders. Set aside to cool slightly.
2. 2 Place the bread cubes in a large bowl. Pour the lukewarm milk over them and let soak for 10 minutes, then gently squeeze out excess milk and return the bread to the bowl (reserve the milk).
3. 3 To the soaked bread, add the beaten eggs, cooled speck and onion, flour, parsley, salt, nutmeg, and a good grind of pepper. Mix with a fork or clean hands until just combined; the mixture should hold together when pressed. If it feels dry, splash in a little of the reserved milk.
4. 4 Divide the mixture into three equal portions (~280 g each). Leave the first portion plain (classic bread canederli).
5. 5 For the spinach canederli: wilt the spinach in a dry pan for 3-4 minutes, squeeze out all moisture thoroughly in a clean towel, then chop finely. Fold into the second portion of mixture along with the drained ricotta. Season again with a pinch of salt and nutmeg.
6. 6 For the cheese canederli: fold the diced Alpen cheese and half the grated Parmigiano into the third portion. Season again lightly.
7. 7 With wet hands, shape each portion into 6 balls about 7 cm across (roughly the size of a small apple). Press gently so they hold their shape but remain light.
8. 8 Bring the broth to a gentle simmer in a wide pot — it should tremble, not boil. Lower the dumplings in, in a single layer if possible, and simmer 12-15 minutes. The canederli are done when they float, feel firm when pressed, and a skewer inserted into the center comes out hot with no raw egg visible. Internal temperature should reach 75°C / 165°F.
9. 9 While the dumplings cook, melt the butter in a small pan over medium heat until the milk solids turn golden brown and it smells nutty, 3-4 minutes. Drop in the sage leaves for the last 30 seconds.
10. 10 Lift the dumplings out with a slotted spoon, drain briefly, and place three per bowl (one of each kind). Spoon over the hot broth and finish with a drizzle of browned butter, the fried sage leaves, and the remaining Parmigiano.