Strozzapreti are a hand-rolled pasta type originating from Emilia-Romagna and Tuscany in the North of Italy. Both twisted in shape as well as historic origin, strozzapreti (meaning 'priest stranglers') derives its name from when the Papal State was in power in the 17th century. Thanks to its twisted, rope-like appearance, strozzapreti pasta was considered dangerous to consume and local housewives, seeking vengeance against the priests for their infamous gluttony, cursed the pasta as they made it, hoping to punish the priests by choking them. Pair with a traditional meaty sauce from the Emilia-Romagna region or a vegan pesto if you prefer.
Make our Delicious Fresh Strozzapreti
Serves: 2-3 people
Prep time: 45 minutes
Calories per serving: 232 kcal
Ingredients
- 200g semolina flour or durum wheat flour
- 100ml warm water
- Pinch of salt
Tools
- Fork
- Wooden board
- Rolling Pin
- Knife
Method
Follow the steps below or watch our lovely sfoglina, Roberta, make fresh vegan pasta dough in our video guide.
Part 1: Making the dough
- On a clean marble or wooden work surface, pile your flour and pinch of salt into a mound.
- Make a well in the centre of the mound large enough to contain the water.
- Gently pour the water into the well.
- Gradually add the flour to the water, slowly incorporating the flour from the sides of the well. As the mixture thickens, start using your hands with a scraper to continue incorporating the flour.
Part 2: Knead the dough
- Clean the work surface of any excess flour or dough bits that never incorporated. Then lightly flour your clean work surface.
- Knead the dough by pressing the heel of one hand into the ball, keeping your fingers high.
- Press down on the dough while pushing it firmly away from you. The dough should stretch and roll under your hand to create a shell-like shape.
- Turn the dough over, then press into the dough with your knuckles, one hand at a time. Continue kneading for about 10 minutes, or until the dough is smooth and springy to the touch.
- Roll the dough into a smooth ball.
Part 3: Let the dough rest
- Place the dough in a small bowl and cover with a tea towel or cling film.
- Let the dough rest for 15-20 minutes at room temperature.
Part 4: Shaping your strozzapreti
- Divide your dough in half and cover one half so that it doesn't dry out. Cut a section from the remaining dough and roll it into a thin sausage shape, approximately 3mm thick.
- Cut the dough sausage into 2-3cm pieces. Then, take each piece at at time and pinch the ends, gently twisting and pulling the piece of dough so that it becomes longer and has a distinctive twisted shape.
- Repeat this until all of your dough is used up and you have lots of strozzapreti.
Part 5: Cooking your strozzapreti
- When you've finished shaping all of your strozzapreti, bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. Cook your pasta in the water for 3-4 minutes.
- Serve with a sauce of your choice. We recommend a delicious ragù alla bolognese and a scattering of Parmigiano Reggiano.
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