Gnocchi di prugne

Gnocchi di prugne are plum-filled potato dumplings covered with a mixture of breadcrumbs toasted in butter, sugar, and cinnamon. They are very popular in the Italian region of Friuli Venezia Giulia, especially the capital city of the region, Trieste. That part of Italy was long ruled by the Austro-Hungarian Empire, so it is no surprise that this dish can also be found in the cuisines of other European countries that were once part of the same empire - zwetschgenknödels in Germany, knedle sa šljivama in Croatia, szilvas gomboc in Hungary, svestkove knedliky in Czechia, galuste cu prune in Romania, or slivkove knedliky in Slovakia. Interestingly, in all these countries they are considered to be a main dish, but in Italy, gnocchi di prugne are often served at the beginning of a meal - in restaurants they are usually listed under the primi part of the menu, next to different kinds of pasta and other savory dishes.