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Strangolapreti are delicious bread and spinach dumplings from Trentino-Alto Adige. Made with leftover stale bread, spinach and cheese and served in a simple sage and butter sauce. So delicious and comforting!
Strangolapreti which literally translates as ‘Priest Stranglers’ are traditional bread and spinach dumplings/gnocchi from the Italian mountainous region of Trentino-Alto Adige.
There are a couple of theories as to why these dumplings got their name. The one I find most interesting comes from the middle ages during the time of the Mezzadria.
The Mezzadria was a system where poor families would live and work on the land of the wealthy (including Priests). The landowner was supposed to only take half of the food these families had cultivated on their land but in most cases, these families were left with nothing.
When the landowners arrived at the farms to collect their share the families were also made to serve them a meal – hence the name Strangolapreti. Can you imagine having to work all day everyday growing fruit, vegetables, wheat, olive oil, wine and livestock to be left with nothing? The name is very fitting if you ask me.
The Strangolapreti are so unbelievably delicious and are such a great way to use up leftover stale bread. If your bread isn’t stale don’t worry too much, you might just need to add a little extra flour to the mix.
See the recipe below including notes on ingredients, step by step photos, tips and serving suggestions. The full printable recipe is below.
Ingredients
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Pin ItIngredient notes and substitutions
- Stale bread – stale crusty white bread is best for this. Tear it into chunks before blitzing it into crumbs.
- Grana Padano – you could also use Parmigiano Reggiano or Pecorino Romano. Always freshly grate it yourself for the best flavour.
- Milk – although we use whole milk a lower fat milk will work just as well.
Visual walk-through of the recipe
- Make breadcrumbs – tear the bread into chunks them blitz them in a food processor to fine crumbs. Transfer to a bowl and add the milk (photos 1-4).
- Wilt the spinach – make sure your pan is big enough and cover the spinach with a lid. You can add 1 tablespoon of water to help it along if needed. The spinach should wilt in just a couple of minutes (photos 5 and 6).
- Rinse, drain and chop – rinse the spinach under cold water to cool it down then squeeze out as much water as possible. Transfer it to a chopping board and finely chop it (photos 7 and 8).
- Strangolapreti mixture – Add the spinach, breadcrumbs, eggs, cheese, flour, nutmeg and salt and pepper to a bowl. Mix to combine then roll the mixture into dumplings (use wet hands for this as the mixture is sticky) (photos 9-12).
- Lay the Strangolapreti on some semola (fine semolina) on a plate to stop them from sticking (photo 13).
- Make the sauce – melt the butter and add the sage in a large pan. Once melted add the Strangolapreti to the boiling water (photo 14).
- Serve – Once the Stragnolapreti float to the top they’re ready. Transfer them to the sauce, toss then serve in bowls topped with more cheese (photos 15 and 16).
Recipe tips
- Consistency – the mixture should be sticky and easy to shape with wet hands. If the mixture is too wet to shape into dumplings you can add more flour 1 tablespoon at a time (you shouldn’t need more than 4 tablespoons total). Try not to add too much flour as it’ll make the dumplings heavier. It all depends on how much moisture is in your spinach.
- Use wet hands – the dumpling mixture is sticky so wet hands really make it easy to shape them. You’ll need to clean your hands and wet them again a couple of times while shaping them.
You can prepare the mixture and keep it refrigerated for 1-2 days. If making the dumplings in advance (1 day) I’d make sure sit them on a generous amount of semola so they don’t stick to the plate or tray you have them on.
Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for 2-3 days and reheated in a pan with more butter and sage.
Servings suggestions
Other than a delicious sage and butter sauce you can serve the Strangolapreti in chicken broth which is also a traditional way of serving them and is especially delicious during the autumn/winter months.
Add the dumplings straight into the hot broth and when they float your soup is ready.
Other non-traditional but as equally delicious ways of serving them would be gratin-style in a little bechamel sauce topped with more Grana Padano or Parmigiano Reggiano or you could go for a Parmigiano cream sauce that we serve with our mushroom ravioli (so easy and delicious but it’s very rich so you only need a small amount).
More delicious gnocchi recipes to try
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Step By Step Photos Above
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Strangolapreti (Spinach and Bread Dumplings)
Equipment
- Food processor
Ingredients
- 17.5 oz (500g) spinach
- 8.8 oz (250g) stale white crusty bread , (makes about 4 cups of breadcrumbs)
- ¾ cup (200ml) whole milk
- 2 large eggs
- 1 scant cup (60g) Grana Padano cheese, (can also use Parmigiano Reggiano)
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 pinch nutmeg
- 6 tablespoons (75g) unsalted butter
- 8-10 sage leaves
- Salt and pepper
- Semola (fine semolina), , for dusting
Instructions
- Tear the bread into small chunks and blitz it to fine breadcrumbs in a food processor. Tip the crumbs into a bowl and add the milk. Stir to combine then leave it to absorb the milk while you prepare the spinach.
- Add the spinach to a large pan on a medium-low heat. Cover with a lid and let the spinach wilt. You can add 1 tablespoon of water to help it along if it needs it. Stir the spinach every so often until it’s completely wilted.
- Transfer the spinach to a colander and run it under cold water until cold. Squeeze as much water out of the spinach as possible then finely chop it on a cutting board.
- Add the spinach to a large mixing bowl with the breadcrumbs, eggs, grated cheese, flour, nutmeg and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Mix everything together until combined. The mixture should be sticky but if it feels very wet you can add another 1-2 tablespoons of flour.
- Sprinkle some semola on a large plate. Using wet hand shape a walnut-sized ball of the mixture into an oval-shaped dumpling and place on top of the semola.
- Continue to shape all the strangolapreti until the mixture is finished (you’ll need to wet your hands a couple of times as you go).
Bringing it all together
- When your Strangolapreti are assembled and your water is boiling get started on the sauce.
- Add the butter to a large frying pan on a medium-low heat. Add the sage and let it simmer gently.
- Once the butter has melted add the strangolapreti to the boiling water (you may need to do this in 2 batches depending on the size of your pot).
- Once they float to the top transfer them straight to the sauce using a slotted spoon. Toss the strangolapreti in the butter and sage for 1-2 minutes then serve in bowls with an extra grating of cheese.
Notes
- Mixture consistency – the mixture should be stick but easy to shape with wet/damp hands. If you find the mixture is too wet to shape then you can add more flour 1 tablespoon at a time (you shouldn’t need more than 4 tablespoons total). Try not to add too much flour as it’ll make the dumplings heavier.
- Serving suggestions – instead of the sage and butter sauce try serving the Srtangolapreti in a hot chicken broth on a cold day.
Helpful Info for All Recipes
- I always use extra virgin olive oil in all of my recipes unless stated otherwise
- When I use canned or jarred tomatoes of any kind I always use Cirio or Mutti brands for the best results and flavour.
- All vegetables are medium sized unless stated otherwise
- All recipes are tested and developed using a fan (convection) oven
- Find out more about how nutrition is calculated.
- Check out our must have Italian Pantry Staples.
- You can also find all our Essential Kitchen Tools for Italian Cooking.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Wow, these sound amazing! I’ve made spinach dumplings with ricotta but never with bread. And I’ve made bread dumplings (canederli) but never with spinach. Now I can combine the two!
Thanks so much Frank, they’re very similar to Canederli…hope you enjoy them! 🙂
These look so good! Can’t wait to make them. Love the sage addition.
Thanks so much Mimi, hope you enjoy them!