Gnocchi di Pane
Gnocchi di pane are rustic Carnian bread dumplings made from stale crusty bread, milk, and herbs, served in rich broth or tossed in melted butter.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Total
- 45 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Calories
- 410 kcal
Equipment
- •Large mixing bowl
- •Large stockpot
- •Slotted spoon
- •Small frying pan
- •Kitchen scale
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 410 kcal
- fat
- 20 g
- carbs
- 44 g
- fibre
- 3 g
- protein
- 14 g
- calories
- 410 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Place the diced stale bread into a large mixing bowl.
- 2
Pour the lukewarm milk over the bread cubes and stir gently to moisten.
- 3
Let the bread soak for 20 minutes until completely softened.
- 4
Melt 20 g of butter in a small pan over medium-low heat.
- 5
Add the onion and cook until sweet and translucent, then leave to cool slightly.
- 6
Add beaten eggs, cooked onion, chopped parsley, nutmeg, salt, and half the grated Montasio to the bread.
- 7
Mix thoroughly by hand, then stir in the flour until a cohesive, soft dough forms.
- 8
Rest the mixture for 10 minutes, then shape into 8 smooth golf ball-sized dumplings with damp hands.
- 9
Bring a large pot of salted water or meat broth to a gentle simmer.
- 10
Lower the dumplings into the water and simmer gently for 15 minutes until they float and expand.
- 11
Lift out with a slotted spoon, drizzle with the remaining melted butter, and sprinkle with remaining Montasio.
Chef's tips
Do not squeeze the bread dry after soaking; simply allow it to absorb the liquid evenly. Always simmer the dumplings gently, as a rolling boil can tear them apart. Test-cook one small dumpling first to ensure the mixture holds together before shaping the entire batch.
Ingredient substitutions
- Montasio cheese → aged Asiago Pressato or Grana Padano
- plain flour → fine breadcrumbs if the mixture is already overly wet
Storage
Store cooked dumplings in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.
Reheating
Reheat by simmering gently in broth or steaming for 5 minutes until heated through.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Boiling the liquid too vigorously, which disintegrates the bread dumplings.
- •Using fresh soft sandwich bread instead of dry, rustic crusty bread.
- •Adding too much flour, which turns the dumplings heavy and leaden.
Serving suggestions
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