Gnocchi di Pane | Italian Bread Gnocchi Dumplings

In appearance, these dumplings resemble traditional Italian gnocchi. Appearances can be deceiving, though, because this pasta isn’t made with potatoes, but rather bread! Although the shape and concept are similar, this version of gnocchi provides a completely different (in an excellent way) flavor and texture.

Gnocchi di Pane | Italian Bread Gnocchi Dumplings

A Note on the Bread

For this recipe, you’ll want to use a semi-stale bread. It shouldn’t be rock hard, but also not fresh out of the oven—about 2 to 3-day-old bread should be perfect. As always when we call for bread in a recipe, it should be good, real bread, made with nothing more than flour, water, salt, and yeast.

Because every bread varies and the level of staleness has a big impact on the final result, you will likely need to adjust the ingredients to get the right dough consistency. The dough should be soft and moldable, slightly sticky, but not too wet. You may find that you need a little more milk to soak the bread, or a little more flour to absorb extra moisture.

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GNOCCHI DI PANE RECIPE

Makes: 4 servings

Cook Time: 1 ½ hours

For this recipe, you will need:

• 7 ounces (200 grams) semi-stale bread, cut into 1-inch cubes

• ⅔ cup (150 milliliters) whole milk, or as needed

• 1 large egg

• 1.75 ounces (50 grams) smoked pancetta or bacon, finely chopped

• 1 to 2 tablespoons chopped parsley

• Fresh black pepper

• Salt

• ¾ cup (90 grams) all-purpose flour, or as needed, plus extra for dusting

• 4 tablespoons (60 grams) unsalted butter

• 8 to 10 fresh sage leaves

Place the bread into a shallow dish and add the milk. Give the milk about 30 minutes to soak into the bread (we recommend stirring every now and then for even distribution). The bread should become soft enough that it can be easily crumbled by hand. If it soaks up all the milk and is still tough, you may need to add a little more milk and let it soak longer.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk the egg by hand. Finely crumble the soaked bread into the bowl. Add the chopped pancetta, parsley, a pinch of pepper and a generous sprinkle of salt. Mix all together thoroughly by hand.

Gradually add flour and continue to mix until the dough becomes soft, slightly sticky, but not wet. Cut off about ⅓ of the dough and place it on a clean surface that has been liberally dusted with flour.

Roll the dough under your palms into a long strand, about 1 inch (2.5 cm) wide. With a sharp knife, cut the strand into small segments, about 1 ½ inch (3.8 cm) long. Set these finished gnocchi aside and repeat to shape the rest of the dough.

Put a large pot of water on to boil and salt it generously. While the water heats, add the butter and sage leaves into a large non-stick pan over low heat. Melt the butter and continue to heat on low until it begins to brown slightly, then turn off the heat.

When the water comes to a rolling boil, place the gnocchi into the pot and very gently give them a stir to prevent sticking. Let the pasta boil until the dumplings float to the surface of the water, at which point they are cooked.

Turn the heat under the butter pan up to medium. Using a slotted ladle, transfer the pasta into the pan. Gently toss all together until the pasta begins to brown slightly. Serve immediately, topped with the sage leaves and any extra butter there might be in the pan.

Buon appetito!