Chnéffléne are a first course typical of the Aosta Valley, specifically the Gressoney valley where the Walser, a population of Germanic origin, settled between the 12th and 12th centuries. Chnéffléne are small dumplings made with flour and eggs. They can be seasoned in various ways: with cream or bacon or, as is traditional, with onion browned in a pan along with butter. In this case we have chosen to let you discover the original version of this dish and, therefore, to follow tradition by repassing the Chnéffléne with braised onion. If you like you can sprinkle your Chnéffléne with pepper or grated grana cheese.
Ingredients for 4 people
- Preparation: 40 min
- Resting time: 30 min
- Calories: 375 Kcal x 100 g
- Difficulty: low
- Flour: ½ kg
- Milk: ½ l
- Eggs: 1
- Onions: 2
- Butter: 60 g
- Meat broth: as much as needed
Preparing Chnéffléne
Place an egg in a bowl and beat it with a whisk. Add half a liter of milk and, sifting it, half a kilogram of flour. Stir it all together. Adjust for salt, then let stand 30 minutes.
Put the butter in a pan and, when it has melted, add the two onions cut into strips. Stir with the help of a spoon until the onions turn golden brown. Add half a glass of white wine and continue stirring. Adjust the salt and pepper.
Add a ladleful of meat stock to the onion and continue stirring.
Bring plenty of salted water to a boil and take the previously worked dough: place a wide-hole grater on the pot, in case you do not have the dedicated tool, and drop the dough into the water through the grater holes so as to obtain many small buttons of dough. When they resurface, drain them with the help of a perforated ladle.
Return the pasta to the pan along with the onion. Serve hot.
