Italian teardrop dumplings (chnèfflènè)

5 from 8 votes

Italian teardrop dumplings (chnèfflènè)

Also known as gnocchetti dalla Valle D’Aosta, these teardrop dumplings (chnèfflènè) are a wonderful example of Italian mountain fare. They are made with a thick batter similar to spaetzle cooked in boiling salted water and dressed with onions sautéed in butter,wine and a little broth.

Prep Time15

Cook Time15

Resting time30

Total Time1

Course: Dinner, homemade gnocchi, lunch, starter

Cuisine: Aosta Valley, Italian, Northern Italy

Keyword: chnèfflènè, dumplings, gnocchetti, spaetzle

Servings:

Calories: 725kcal

Author: Jacqui

Equipment

1 large pot to cook dumplings
1 large frying pan
1 cheese grater or spaetzle maker

Ingredients

For the dumpling batter

1.1 pounds Italian '00' soft wheat flour or all-purpose flour
17 floz whole milk
1 egg large
salt to taste

For the condiment

2 onions peeld and sliced
2 ounces butter unsalted
2.5 flozs white wine
½ ladle meat broth vegetarians should use vegetable broth
salt to taste

For serving

2 ounces Grana Padano or Parmigiano Reggiano vegetarians should use vegetarian parmesan

Optional for non-vegetarians

3.5 ounces guanciale or pancetta fried

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Make the batter.

Break the egg into a bowl and beat it with a whisk. Add the milk, whisk again then sift in the flour. Stir it all together until you have a fairly thick but gloopy batter with no lumps. Add salt to taste and then let the batter stand for 30 minutes.

Make the braised onions.

Put the butter in a pan over a medium heat and, when it has melted, add the two onions cut into slices. Stir with the help of a wooden spoon until the onions turn golden and soft. Add the white wine and let the alcohol burn off. Add half a ladleful of meat stock to the onion and continue stirring. Add salt and pepper as needed.

Cook the teardrop dumplings (chnèfflènè)

Bring plenty of salted water to a boil and then place a wide-hole grater or spaetzle maker over the pot and drop the dough into the water through the grater holes. I used a rubber spatula to help push the batter through the grater holes. The result should be many small teardrops of dough dropping into the boiling water.
Once all the batter has dropped into the water, allow it to all come to the surface and then remove the dumplings with the help of a slotted spoon. Transfer them to the pan with the braised onion. Mix gently and serve immediately with some grated grana or Parmigiano if required.

Notes

Meat lovers can add some crispy fried guanciale, pancetta or bacon to the dumplings before serving.

To keep this recipe vegetarian use vegetable broth and vegetarian parmesan.

For leftovers see main text.

You can serve this dish as a starter, or for lunch or dinner.

Nutrition