Caponsei, a recipe from trattoria “Il Fiore” in Desenzano

Claudio Andrizzi
Written by Claudio Andrizzi

The “Caponsei” are a traditional recipe the Mantova countryside, that is to say typical of a geographical area near to Lake Garda. This “closeness” often causes trespassing even in the gastronomic world, bringing dishes like this to be revisited even in the near territories.

At the Trattoria Il Fiore in Desenzano, for example, on the shores of Garda, Caponsei are one of the most popular dishes, and are prepared according to an alternative family version that differentiates them than the old traditional way. Here is the recipe, kindly made available for Garda Expo readers by Paola Papa. Try to prepare them at home!
Ingredients: about 2 ounces of stale chopped bread, 1 egg, parsley, salt, pepper, nutmeg, clove minced garlic, melted butter (just a little), vegetable broth, grated Grana cheese.
Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well to get a soft but firm and dry mixture. Form with floured hands into balls of dough and shape them according to the form of elongated gnocchi.
Cook the Caponsei into broth until they come to the surface. Season later with Grana Padano cheese, melted butter and sage.

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