Bread dumplings with salami

Bread dumplings with salami

Bread gnocchi with salami are a very hearty and flavorful first course. Inspired by the many traditional recipes of popular cuisine that call for the use of stale bread, these gnocchi are actually the result of a well-thought-out combination of fresh breadcrumbs and the well-known salami. Perfect for a robust family lunch, and if they don't win in lightness they certainly triumph in taste!

INGREDIENTS

• 400 g of fresh bread crumbs
• 1 egg
• 40 g of sliced lard
• ½ liter of milk
• 1 white onion
• parsley
• 120 g of salami
• 1 tablespoon of flour
• extra virgin olive oil
• garlic
• parmesan cheese
• sage
• butter
• salt
• black pepper

Gnocchi di pane al salame (bread dumplings with salami) are a robust and tasty first course that takes up and reworks the traditional recipes of popular cuisine, present almost everywhere in the territory, born to reuse in the kitchen the leftovers of stale bread, cheese, cold cuts or vegetables. Recipes that have then assumed the rank of real regional specialties, as in the case of the famous South Tyrolean dumplings.

In this version, the bread dumplings we are proposing are actually made with fresh breadcrumbs. And if you want to recycle them, don't worry, the leftover bread crust can be kept in a paper bag and dried to become breadcrumbs or large crumbs for crispy breadcrumbs.

After cooking in salted water, gnocchi are seasoned with melted butter and grated cheese. Alternatively, they are also very tasty cooked in vegetable or meat broth, as desired, and served with just a sprinkling of cheese. Maybe they cannot be defined as the lightest dish to propose for lunch or dinner, but they are certainly among the tastiest.

And if you are in the mood to try alternative gnocchi recipes to the classic potato ones, we certainly recommend Gnocchetti di semolina in broth, Cajettes and Gnocchetti with Jerusalem artichokes, Taggiasca olives, pine nuts and lemon.

To make Gnocchi di pane al salame, beat the egg in a large bowl with the milk and add the breadcrumbs in pieces. 

Heat the lard, cut into squares, in a pan until it becomes transparent. In a pan, brown the finely chopped onion in a little oil. Add both the lard and the onion to the crumb mixture. Add the chopped parsley with half a clove of garlic, the chopped salami, salt, pepper and flour.

Knead until the mixture is well blended and firm enough to handle. If necessary, add a little more flour and let it be well absorbed. Let the dough settle for a few minutes and then, with slightly wet hands, form some gnocchi about the size of a large walnut. Place them, as they are ready, on a floured work surface. 

Boil the gnocchi in plenty of boiling salted water. When they come to the surface, gently remove them with a skimmer and place them in a pan where you have melted the butter flavored with sage. Turn the pan so that the gnocchi with salami are seasoned evenly without breaking and then serve them sprinkled with grated cheese.