These are more of a side dish than an accompaniment to soup; they'll go nicely with a stew or goulash. The recipe is drawn form Canederli, Specialitá a Tutto Tondo, by Angelika Ilies and Klaus Arras. As a side dish it will serve 4:

• 3/4 pound (300 g) day old white bread, diced.
• 2/3 cup (150 ml) warm milk
• 1 1/3 pounds (600 g) fresh spinach
• A medium onion
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 clove garlic
• 2 small eggs
• Salt & freshly ground pepper
• 3-4 tablespoons flour

Dice the bread quite finely and put it in a bowl; stir in the milk and let the mixture rest covered. In the meantime wash the spinach well, removing roots and overly coarse stalks. Heat the spinach in a pot with just the water remaining on the leaves until it wilts, then drain it, squeeze it dry, and mince it.

Peel and finely dice the onion. Melt the butter and sauté the onion until it is translucent. Crush and add the garlic, then the spinach, and cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes to drive off excess moisture.

Lightly whisk the eggs and incorporate them, together with the spinach mixture, a pinch of nutmeg, and salt and pepper to taste, into the bread. Let the mixture sit for a half hour longer.

Set a pot of lightly salted water to boil.

Mix just enough flour into the bread mixture to firm it up. Wet your hands and shape the mixture into 8-10 canederli. Simmer them for 20-30 minutes and serve, with a little melted butter, flakes of Parmigiano, and, if you like, freshly diced ripe tomatoes.

Note: If you are not sure you have enough flour in the mixture begin by cooking one canederlo. If it holds, fine. If it dissolves, remake the canederli, adding more flour to the bread mixture.

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