Paolo's strangolapreti recipe

Strangolapreti are a traditional Trentino dish of humble origins: stale bread gnocchi enriched with spinach and chard.

INGREDIENTS (serves 4-5)

For the gnocchi:

• 450 g spinach
• 100 g stale bread
• 125 g ricotta
• 1 cup milk
• 1 egg
• 2-3 tablespoons breadcrumbs
• Salt to taste
• For the seasoning:
• Butter to taste
• Parmesan cheese to taste

Method:

In a large pot, boil the spinach in salted water for 5-6 minutes.
Drain in a colander, cool, and then squeeze to remove all the absorbed water.
This step is very important because, if done correctly, it minimizes the need to add breadcrumbs later, preserving the softness of the final dish.
Meanwhile, I grated the stale bread and poured it over the hot milk, stirring carefully until completely absorbed.
It's best if the bread is no more than two or three days old, and I recommend warming the milk thoroughly before adding it. This will quickly create a smooth dough, ready for the other ingredients.
Once cooled, chop the spinach with a knife and fold it into the bread dough. Then add the egg and ricotta and mix everything together with a ladle until you have a nice, soft dough.
If you want to make the dough richer, you can also add a few tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese.
Season with salt and gradually incorporate the breadcrumbs. This step must be done carefully, as too much bread can compromise the softness of the gnocchi.
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Using two teaspoons, shape the gnocchi one by one, dropping them directly into the water.
Cooking is fairly quick; as soon as they float to the surface, the strangolapreti are ready. Drain them with a slotted spoon and transfer them to a nonstick pan in which I had melted a little butter. I added a few tablespoons of the cooking water and left the heat on low.
Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, I melted the butter until golden. When ready to serve, serve with the hot melted butter and a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.

Enjoy your meal!