Photo: Jacapo Pandolfini Copyright 2011
Today I'd love to share a recipe from Trentino - a charming place in northern Italy with beautiful mountains and a delicious way of cooking - totally different from all other places of Italy. The recipes have a strong influence from the bordering countries. These cute, little (and tasty!) dumplings are called spatzle, which means ‘sparrow’ in German. You can eat them with butter, or you can add cheese and speck - a particular kind of smoked, raw ham typical of this part of Italy.
1 whole egg
1 cup water
3 cups all purpose flour
2 tablespoons minced, boiled spinach
2 tablespoons butter
1 pinch nutmeg
Salt and pepper
Boil spinach, and drain well, squeezing out the water with your hands.
Once the spinach is as dry as possible, chop it well.
Once the spinach is as dry as possible, chop it well.
Beat egg with a whisk. Place flour in a bowl.
Add egg, salt, nutmeg and pepper, and mix well. Slowly add water, beating the mixture with
a whisk until all the lumps are gone. Add spinach and stir until smooth. Set aside for 30
minutes.
Add egg, salt, nutmeg and pepper, and mix well. Slowly add water, beating the mixture with
a whisk until all the lumps are gone. Add spinach and stir until smooth. Set aside for 30
minutes.
Get a metal colander with large holes and a spatula.
Press the mixture through the colander, gathering the little dumplings on a tray.
Press the mixture through the colander, gathering the little dumplings on a tray.
Heat butter over a medium-high fire in a sauté pan. Cook the spatzle for 3 minutes.
Serve hot with a good white wine like Riesling or Gewuztraminer.
