Canederli

Canederli hail from the Alpine regions of Italy, Trentino-Alto Adige in particular, where the buildings, culture, customs and food seem altogether more Germanic than Italian. Indeed this pasta is German in origin, its name still similar to the original knödel. Plain ball-like dumplings, the simplest are made from seasoned breadcrumbs, but any number of variations combine ingredients readily available to mountain farmers. Wild herbs, cheeses, cured meats or pike might make an appearance, while sweet versions use a dough made from potato and are stuffed with plums or apricots.