Episode #205 - Gnocchi with Spinach and Ricotta (Strozzapreti / The Priest Chockers)
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.
Be ready to get your
hands dirty,
let's get cookin'!
Gnocchi di Ricotta e Spinaci
Serves: 6
Prep Time: 20
Cooking Time: 15-20
Ingredients
2 ½ Lb of Spinach
1 ½ Lb of Ricotta Cheese
6 Tbsp Parmesan, freshly Grated
2 Egg Yolks, lightly beaten
All purpose Flour, for dusting
¼ Cup of Butter, melted
Salt and Pepper
Rinse them well, and in a very large non-stick pan, cook them for five minutes, in just the water clinging to the leaves after washing.
Drain them and chop them very fine. The spinach will cool off while you chop them, when you can handle them well, squeeze them into your hands, extracting some extra water.
This is very important,
because drying the spinach it will help you mold
better gnocchi later.
Preheat the oven to 350 F.
Put the spinach in a bowl, add the ricotta, half of
the Parmesan, the egg yolks, and season with a couple
of pinches of salt and some freshly grated black
pepper.
Mix well, and make sure that the ricotta crumbles
into fine pieces, and mixes properly with the spinach
and the rest of the ingredients.
Shape the mixture into balls.
Butter a Pyrex pan, lay
all the gnocchi in it, dress it with a few very thin
slices and some grated Parmesan and put it in the
oven. Keep the temperature at 350 F and then use the
broiler for the last five minutes to crisp the dish.
In a non stick pan melt about 1 ½ tablespoon of
butter, and sauté the sage until it starts browning.
Serve on a warm plate, dress with the melted butter
and sage sauce, then garnish with some freshly grated
Parmesan.
Buon Appetito
Debi and Gabriele
