Speck'tacular Strozzapreti - Priest Chokers with Speck and Egg Sauce

This is based on 2 of my favorite pasta dishes Linguine alla Papalina and Spaghetti alla Carbonara which are both made with egg/cheese sauces that are built on the pasta during tossing. So, I began with the sauce and worked from there. A little Cracked Black Pepper and Pecorino Romano from the Carbonara with Speck (Smoked Prosciutto) and Shallot from the Papalina. The addition of Arugula is more of a guilt thing, just to make sure I have a green vegetable in my dish, Italian Parsley would work just as well. But Arugula does have a slight pepperiness to it that works well with the black pepper as well as the smoky flavor of the Speck. I decided on Strozzapreti pasta because I figured the shape would hold more sauce than the longer pastas. After all, the ultimate purpose of pasta is to get flavorful sauces into your face... ;)

It appears that Strozzapreti is sometimes called Stranglopreti, but I tend to think of Stranglopreti as being a gnocchi made with bread and the Strozzapreti as being the pasta. Both words mean “priest strangler or priest choker”, however, I think Strangolare means “garroted, type of strangling” versus Strozzare which means “physically throttled type of strangling”. In the long run, I guess it really doesn't matter either way, but whether you’re a priest or not, please eat slowly and carefully, I would not want to be liable for any food consumption related accidents… LOL

Strozzapreti di Fumo y Sugo all'Uovo

2 oz Speck, chopped
Olive oil
1/4 cup Pinot Grigio (dryer, not sweet)
1/2 cup Chicken Stock
3 large Egg Yolks
1/2 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano, plus (optional) 1/4 cup chopped
1 TB freshly ground Black Pepper
1/2 lb Strozzapreti pasta
1 1/2 cups chopped Arugula

Set a large pot of water to boil.
In a small saucepan, heat olive oil over medium flame, then add the speck and sauté.

Remove the Speck to drain, add the shallots and cook for 1 minute, then deglaze the saucepan with Pinot Grigio and reduce by half.

Add Chicken stock and heat to a simmer.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine egg yolks, Pecorino, pepper, and salt, whisking to combine.

When Water Boils, add salt and drop the Strozzapreti, cooking until al dente.
Place chopped Arugula in a warmed pasta bowl.

Drain the Pasta and to the bowl

Then add the Speck

And the simmering stock.

Toss to coat.

Pour the egg mixture over the pasta

and toss until sauce becomes creamy.

Divide between four warm bowls and sprinkle with chopped Pecorino Romano if desired.
Serve immediately.

Mangia!!
~~

Priests Beware!! - Strangolapreti; "Priest Stranglers"

Strangolapreti, literally translated, means Priest Choker or Priest Strangler. This particular version is either from the Trentino, Alto Adige or Friuli regions of Northern Italy where there is a lot of German influence to the cuisine. For all intensive purposes this is simply another form of "Gnocchi" utilizing day old bread or bread crumbs instead of Ricotta (Lombardia & Tuscany), Potato (Piemonte), Pumpkin (also Tuscany) or Pasta Dough (Emilia-Romagna, Campania and Lucania; also Sardinia)

I originally picked this recipe up from La Cucina Italiana a couple of years ago... I don't know if my bread is just never stale enough or not, but I have found that I ALWAYS seem to have to add at least 3/4 cup of flour to the recipe, in order for the dough to become workable and not just a sticky mess in the food processor. Next time I make these, I am going to simply puree the Swiss Chard by itself and and see it that makes a difference in the dough texture. But for now, this is the my altered version of the original recipe.

Strangolapreti

7 1/2 oz Stale White Bread

3/4 cup Whole Milk
1 tsp Salt
1 pound Swiss Chard
1 large Egg
1 cup AP Flour
4 TB Unsalted Butter
5 large Sage Leaves; chopped
Cracked Black Pepper
4 oz Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Grana Padano cheese

My bread must have been REALLY light, cause it took alot to make 7 1/2 oz - They had suggested 7 Slices...

Cut bread into cubes and place in a large bowl.

Add milk and cover mixture with plastic wrap;

weight with a plate or smaller bowl filled with water.

Chill in refrigerator overnight.

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil.
Rinse the chard, and remove the ribs; chop coarsely.

Add chard to the boiling water and cook for 1 minute; drain

and rinse with cold water to cool.

Once cooled enough to handle, squeeze water from chard.
In a food processor, puree bread and milk until slightly chunky, about 30 seconds.

Add chard, egg and 1 teaspoon salt; puree until a paste forms. (about 2 minutes)

Add 1/2 cup flour and pulse a couple of times.
Sprinkle 1/4 cup flour over your board and turn paste out, gently kneading until incorporated.
Add another 1/4 cup of flour a little at a time, stopping when you have achieved a smooth ball.

Divide into 4 pieces, rolling each piece into a 1/2 inch diameter rope.
Cut crosswise into 1 1/2 inch pieces.

Bring another large pot of salted water to a boil, or reheat the water from blanching the chard.
Add strangolapreti about 20 at a time; cook until strangolapreti float and are cooked through, about 3 minutes.
Using a slotted spoon, transfer strangolapreti to a warmed serving bowl.

Meanwhile, melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat; add sage leaves, reduce heat to medium-low and cook until butter is fragrant and flavored with the sage, about 5 minutes.

Remove sage leaves, pour butter over strangolapreti, add Cracked Black pepper, 2 oz of the Parmigiano-Reggiano and more chopped Sage (if desired); tossing gently to combine.

Serve with remaining Parmigiano-Reggiano.

Mangia!!!
~~