Recipe: Bread Dumplings with Potato and Tomato Broth (Italian)

BREAD DUMPLINGS WITH POTATO AND TOMATO BROTH
(GLI SCIUSCIELLI)

"These bread dumplings come from Atena Lucana, a village of 2,300 residents in the mountainous Vallo di Diano region of southeastern Campania. In yet another example of making the most of stale bread-and another case of carbs on carbs - these bread dumplings are cooked with sliced potatoes in a brothy sauce. Potatoes add maximum caloric impact, once essential for doing hard labor in the fields."



2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive ol
1 onion, diced
Sea salt
1 Italian sausage link, casing removed
1 potato (I like russet), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 (14 ounce ) can tomato sauce
1 cup fresh bread crumbs
3/4 cup vegetable broth, warmed
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus more for serving
5 eggs, beaten
1/3 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Freshly ground black pepper

Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-low heat. When the oil begins to shimmer, add the onion, season with salt, and cook until soft and translucent, about 15 minutes.

Add the sausage and cook, breaking up the meat with a. wooden spoon, until browned, 5 to 7 minutes, then add the potatoes. Add enough water to cover, season with salt and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes to marry the flavors.

Add the tomato sauce, increase the heat to medium, and cook for 10 minutes more, until the potatoes are fork-tender.

Meanwhile, place the bread crumbs in a medium bowl, add the warm broth, and let soak for a few minutes, untiL softened. Transfer to a large bowl. Add the flour, Parmigiano-Reggiano, eggs, and parsley. Mix thoroughly by hand. The dough should form a thick, tacky paste.

Using a spoon, form the dough into egg-shaped dumplings and carefully lower them into the tomato sauce. Cook without stirring, until the dumplings have set, about 10 minutes. Gently turn the dumplings and cook until they are cooked through and the sauce has reduced a bit, 10 minutes more. Serve immediately, dusted with some Parmigiano-Reggiano

Makes 4-6 servings
Used by permission to Recipelink.com from Random House
Source: Food of the Italian South: Recipes for Classic, Disappearing, and Lost Dishes: A Cookbook by Katie Parla