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Gnocchi

Strangolapreti (Trentino Spinach and Bread Gnocchi)

Strangolapreti are tasty spinach and bread gnocchi from the Trentino tradition, very easy to make and sure to win you and your guests over from the first bite.
Recipe Strangolapreti (Trentino Spinach and Bread Gnocchi)
  • Difficulty Medium
  • Preparation 15 minutes
  • Cooking 10 minutes
  • Servings for 4 people

Strangolapreti are tasty bread and spinach gnocchi from the Trentino food tradition, a first course born of farmhouse cooking that pairs humble ingredients perfectly, in a combination that will surprise you.

The Strangolapreti Recipe is easy, and we’d even say quick: starting with a method similar to that of canederli (Trentino bread dumplings), it lets you bring a nice, hearty first course to the table, which you can serve with whatever sauce you like best, although tradition calls for the so-called “burro versato” (“poured butter”), that is, butter melted with sage.

There are many variations of Trentino Strangolapreti; the one we’re sharing is the traditional recipe handed down in a great many families and, as we said, it makes the most of humble, easy-to-find ingredients, including, in the case of the bread, leftovers.

These traditional Bread Gnocchi will truly win you over with their rustic flavor, which will take you straight back to the scents and aromas of the mountains.

Ingredients for 4 people

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Method

  1. To make Strangolapreti, start by finely chopping half an onion, put it in a skillet with a little butter and sauté it lightly.
  2. Now add the frozen spinach and a splash of water, cover with a lid and cook until the spinach has thawed and picked up the flavor.
  3. While the spinach cooks, put the stale bread, broken into small pieces, in a large bowl with the milk, which you should warm slightly first. Mix well and set aside.
  4. Once the spinach has thawed, season with salt and pepper and finish cooking over medium-high heat so it dries out as much as possible.
  5. When it’s ready, let it cool slightly, squeeze it well, saving the juices, and chop it finely with a very sharp kitchen knife.
  6. Add the chopped spinach, the grated Grana Padano, the eggs, a little salt, a grind of pepper and a pinch of nutmeg to the bowl with the milk-soaked bread.
  7. Mix all the ingredients carefully with your hands until you have an even mixture. If it’s too dry, use a little of the juices released while cooking the spinach.
  8. Once the dough is ready, shape the Strangolapreti: take a little dough and work it with your hands. First roll it into balls, then give them the tapered shape typical of these lovely bread and spinach gnocchi.
  9. Once you’ve shaped all your Strangolapreti, make the sauce: put a little butter, a few sage leaves and a pinch of salt in a skillet and let it brown lightly.
  10. Now cook the Strangolapreti in plenty of salted water and, when they float to the surface, lift them out with a slotted spoon and toss them for a few seconds in the skillet with the melted butter sauce.
  11. Serve the Trentino Strangolapreti with a generous sprinkle of grated Grana Padano or Trentingrana. Finally, remember to download our App with exclusive content and fewer ads!

Variations and Alternatives

If you like, you can enrich your Strangolapreti with strips of speck added to the dough or to the sauce. If you prefer, you can also add a little flour to the dough (about 40 g).

Tips

If the dough turns out too soft, you can add more breadcrumbs or a little 00 flour with no problem.

Storage

Once cooked, Strangolapreti keep in the fridge for 1-2 days with no problem. Some people freeze them as soon as they’re made, before cooking, but we don’t recommend it. These tasty Trentino gnocchi are so quick and easy to make that enjoying them fresh is best.

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