Strozzapreti (; "priest choker" or "priest strangler"
in
Italian
Italian(s) may refer to:
* Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries
** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom
** Italian language, a Romance language
*** Regional Ita ...
) are an elongated form of
cavatelli
Cavatelli ( , also , ; literally "little hollows") are small pasta shells made from semolina or other flour dough, that resemble miniature hot dog buns, commonly cooked with garlic and broccoli or broccoli rabe, or simply with tomato sauce. A ...
, or hand-rolled
pasta
Pasta (, ; ) is a type of food typically made from an unleavened dough of wheat flour mixed with water or eggs, and formed into sheets or other shapes, then cooked by boiling or baking. Rice flour, or legumes such as beans or lentils, ar ...
typical of the
Emilia-Romagna
egl, Emigliàn (man) egl, Emiglièna (woman) rgn, Rumagnòl (man) rgn, Rumagnòla (woman) it, Emiliano (man) it, Emiliana (woman) or it, Romagnolo (man) it, Romagnola (woman)
, population_note =
, population_blank1_title ...
,
Tuscany
it, Toscano (man) it, Toscana (woman)
, population_note =
, population_blank1_title =
, population_blank1 =
, demographics_type1 = Citizenship
, demographics1_footnotes =
, demographics1_title1 = Italian
, demogra ...
,
Marche and
Umbria
it, Umbro (man) it, Umbra (woman)
, population_note =
, population_blank1_title =
, population_blank1 =
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, ...
regions of Italy as well as in the state of
San Marino
San Marino (, ), officially the Republic of San Marino ( it, Repubblica di San Marino; ), also known as the Most Serene Republic of San Marino ( it, Serenissima Repubblica di San Marino, links=no), is the fifth-smallest country in the world an ...
. The name is also used for a baked cheese and vegetable dumpling, prepared in some regions of Italy and on the French island of
Corsica.
Origin of name
There are several legends to explain the name, primarily based on the
anticlerical
Anti-clericalism is opposition to religious authority, typically in social or political matters. Historical anti-clericalism has mainly been opposed to the influence of Roman Catholicism. Anti-clericalism is related to secularism, which seeks to ...
sentiment of the region.
One is that gluttonous priests were so enthralled by the savory pasta that they ate too quickly and choked themselves.
Another explanation involves the "azdora" ("housewife" in the Romagna dialect), who "chokes" the dough strips to make the strozzapreti. The azdora would express rage (perhaps triggered by the misery and difficulties of her life) and curse the local clergy, resulting in a pasta that could choke a priest. A third states that wives would customarily make the pasta for churchmen as partial payment for land rents (In Romagna, the Catholic Church had extensive land properties rented to farmers), and their husbands would be angered enough by the venal priests eating their wives' food to wish the priests would choke as they stuffed their mouths with it. The name surely reflects the diffuse anticlericalism of the people of Romagna and Tuscany.
Another possible explanation is that following Sunday mass, it was common for the priest to visit homes of the villagers and enjoy dinner with them. The more pleasant experiences for the priest would entice them to come back to that particular home more frequently. As a means for the family to let the priest know that he might be overextending his welcome, they would serve this pasta which had later earned the name "Strozzapreti." Another origin story is that the pasta resembles a
clerical collar, commonly referred to as a "Priest Choker".
Description
The name ''strozzapreti'' can refer either to a fresh pasta type or to a
gnocchi
Gnocchi ( , , ; singular ''gnocco'') are a varied family of dumpling in Italian cuisine. They are made of small lumps of dough most traditionally composed of a simple combination of wheat flour, egg, salt, and potato. Variations of the dish sup ...
type.
Pasta types
* In the cuisine of Romagna strozzapreti are short twisted cords obtained by hand from water and flour pasta. In the countryside between Faenza and Lugo, ''strozzapreti col nodo'' are widespread, obtained by knotting each piece of pasta after twisting it on itself.
*In the cuisine of Imola and Ravenna between the end of the 1800s and the middle of the 1900s, strozzapreti were called "suffocated priests", a terminology that has since disappeared, and were slightly larger.
*In
Emilia
Emilia may refer to:
People
* Emilia (given name), list of people with this name
Places
* Emilia (region), a historical region of Italy. Reggio, Emilia
* Emilia-Romagna, an administrative region in Italy, including the historical regions of Emi ...
the dough is made from flour, water,
Parmesan
Parmesan ( it, Parmigiano Reggiano; ) is an Italian hard, granular cheese produced from cows’ milk and aged at least 12 months.
It is named after two of the areas which produce it, the provinces of Parma and Reggio Emilia (''Parmigiano'' ...
cheese, and egg whites, all beaten together.
* In Umbrian cuisine with the term ''strozzapreti'' or ''
strangozzi'' is meant a long pasta with a square section made of water and flour.
* In the
Latium cuisine the ''strozzapreti'' are spaghettoni pulled by hand. In the area of
Viterbo
Viterbo (; Viterbese: ; lat-med, Viterbium) is a city and ''comune'' in the Lazio region of central Italy, the capital of the province of Viterbo.
It conquered and absorbed the neighboring town of Ferento (see Ferentium) in its early history ...
, the ''stratto'' is a handmade pasta, typical of the town of
Blera
Blera is a small town and ''comune'' in the northern Lazio region of Italy. It was known during the Middle Ages as Bieda, an evolved form of its ancient name, which was restored in the twentieth century. It is the birthplace of Pope Sabinian; Pop ...
, seasoned with
tartufi.
* In the city of
L'Aquila in Abruzzo the ''strangolapreti'' are big cords of pasta of
Triticum durum
Durum wheat (), also called pasta wheat or macaroni wheat (''Triticum durum'' or ''Triticum turgidum'' subsp. ''durum''), is a tetraploid species of wheat. It is the second most cultivated species of wheat after common wheat, although it represen ...
long about 20 cm.
*
Pici is a somewhat similar form of pasta from Tuscany in which hand-rolled, solid fat tubes of dough are cut but left untwisted; the taut, rope-like appearance provides yet another popular explanation for the association with strangling.
The dough (see some regional variations below) is rolled out in thick flat sheets. It is then cut into strips. The strips are lightly rolled or twisted between the palms. The large pasta is separated into 10 cm pieces by pinching. Unlike spaghetti or macaroni, this pasta is not uniform in size or shape.
Gnocchi types
* In the
Trentino
Trentino ( lld, Trentin), officially the Autonomous Province of Trento, is an autonomous province of Italy, in the country's far north. The Trentino and South Tyrol constitute the region of Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, an autonomous region ...
cuisine and in the
Milanese cuisine the ''strangolapreti'' are gnocchi made of stale bread, spinach, eggs and
grana cheese from Trentino, served with melted butter and sage. In Milanese and
Larian cuisine, soft
cheese is also added.
* In the
Neapolitan cuisine
Neapolitan cuisine has ancient historical roots that date back to the Greco-Roman period, which was enriched over the centuries by the influence of the different cultures that controlled Naples and its kingdoms, such as that of Aragon and France ...
with the term ''strangulapriévete'' are designated simple gnocchi, made at home with water and flour.
* In the
Salentine cuisine with the term ''strangulaprevati'' are meant the potato dumplings.
* In the Calabrian cuisine the ''strangugliapreviti'' are dumplings made of flour and eggs; in the
nicastrese tradition they are the dish of ''
Martedi' Grasso''.
* In the
Corsican cuisine
The cuisine of Corsica is the traditional cuisine of the island of Corsica. It is mainly based on the products of the island, and due to historical and geographical reasons, has much in common with Italian cuisine, and marginally with those ...
the name "sturzapréti" refers also to large gnocchi made of cheese and vegetables, and then baked. Seasoned spinach or chard is rolled into balls together with
brocciu
Brocciu is a Corsican cheese produced from a combination of milk and whey, giving it some of the characteristics of whey cheese. It is produced from ewe's milk. It is notable as a substitute for lactose-rich Italian Ricotta, as brocciu contain ...
cheese, and then baked in the oven. These balls are large enough to choke a person if eaten whole.
Notes
Bibliography
*
{{Pasta
Types of pasta
Cuisine of Emilia-Romagna
Cuisine of Umbria
Corsican cuisine
Neapolitan cuisine
Cuisine of Calabria
Cuisine of Lazio
Cuisine of Apulia
Cuisine of Lombardy
Cuisine of Abruzzo
Cuisine of Trentino