Canederli with nettles

03/20/2025

Today, together with Cesarina Anna from Spormaggiore, we present a special variation of the traditional canederli: those with nettles. This unique ingredient enhances the flavor of the canederli, making them even more delicious.

Now more than ever, avoiding food waste is crucial. Food waste has become an increasingly pressing issue, so much so that reducing it is one of the goals of the UN's 2030 Agenda. For this reason, we present you with a recycling recipe, perfect for giving new life to stale bread. It can be served as a main dish or, when made smaller, about the size of a walnut, as an appetizer.

Nettles canederli in broth

History and tradition of Canederli

Canederli, known as "knödel" in German (from the word “Knot,” meaning "clump"), are a typical dish from the peasant cuisine of Trentino-Alto Adige. Originally, they were a humble dish created to reuse stale bread.

Their history dates back to the Middle Ages. Inside the chapel of the Castle of Hocheppan, near Bolzano, there is a fresco from 1180, known to locals as the "Mangiatrice di Canederli" (Canederli Eater). This fresco depicts a cook preparing canederli.

Traditionally, canederli were made with very simple ingredients. Over time, however, the recipe evolved to include more complex fillings. Nonetheless, the base of the recipe remains stale bread, making them still today a perfect example of zero waste cooking.

Canederli with nettles

Canederli with nettles, a delicious and flavorful zero-waste recipe

DifficultyEasy

Preparation time1h

Cooking time10m

Ingredients

Ingredients for 10 canederli:
150 g of stale whole wheat bread, cubed
1 egg
Half a glass of lukewarm milk
6 cm of leek (white part)
40 g of Parmesan cheese
30 g of breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon of all-purpose flour (type 0)
Salt
50 g of soft cheese, cubed
120 g of blanched and squeezed nettles
Vegetable broth

Method

Soak the stale bread in the milk and let it rest for 30 minutes.
Then add the egg, the white part of the leek that has been lightly sautéed in a pan, salt, chopped herbs, cheese cubes, Parmesan, and flour.
If the mixture is too wet, add breadcrumbs; if it's too dry, add a couple of tablespoons of milk.
With damp hands, form the canederli, making them slightly smaller than a tangerine. Coat them with a little flour and place them on a plate.
Next, refrigerate them for 20 minutes.
Bring the vegetable broth to a boil and cook the canederlotti for 10 minutes.
Finally, serve them with broth and a sprinkle of Trentino Parmesan.