Today, for the very first time, we will be cooking with butter instead of olive oil.
This succulent and kids friendly dish comes again from my grandmother’s kitchen; it is not a traditional Tuscan recipe, like many we already shared…
Lola is from Venice, and this “Strozzapreti” version has been served on our table since I can remember.There are several legends to explain the name “Strozzapreti” (The Priest Chockers)…
One is that gluttonous priests were so enthralled by the savory pasta that they ate
too quickly and choked themselves, sometimes to death.
As always, there are several variations and preparations…some even involving different ingredients, but still intended to choke Priests, I assume.
The recipe we are posting calls for ricotta cheese, and needs to be cooked in the oven.
The main variation on this dish replaces the ricotta with boiled potatoes (1Lb)…
when the balls are ready, instead of cooking them into the oven, they need to be cooked in salted boiling water, as if they were regular pasta. Cooking time is extremely short, as soon as the gnocchi will come to the surface they are ready to be collected, drained and served.
Also a different dressing can be used…red sauce and basil instead of the butter and sage we are using today.