Strozzapreti Pasta--The Strangled Priest

Ciao!  In 2007, my best friend, Debby and I drove across Italy.  We got our Fiat, headed for the Autostrada--she with a grin on her face when we hit 90 mph, me with a bottle of Xanax and the feeling this might be the last, coolest thing we ever do.  When Mercedes, Audi's and  motorcycles pass you like you're standing still, it does take a day or two to unclench your fingers and not fear having to change your underwear.  Our first destination upon leaving Florence was Rimini on the Adriatic coast.  We fell in love with the cobblestone streets, the sea breezes and most of all the wonderful Italian people and their unbelievably good food!  Every city and town we went to was a food orgy--from Venice to Tuscany to Umbria and anyplace in between.  The simplest, freshest ingredients turned out dishes and flavors we so wanted to duplicate when we got home.

One of our favorite pastas was Strazzopreti--which literally means 'priest stranglers'.  In the 18th century, the oppressed people of the Romagna area rebelled against the papacy.  The women cooked this rich, twisted pasta, invited the priest for dinner and the husband hoped the priest would literally choke to death on the meal.  Whether true or not, be sure you take your time when indulging at the table.  Our Strazzopreti was, at our best guess, simply cooked with small pieces of wild boar, finely chopped walnuts topped with Pecorino Romano cheese that melts into a heavenly sauce.  The type of cheese you use will determine the mild or bold flavor of this dish so choose accordingly.  For a bolder taste, I used Parmigiano Reggiano but Pecorino Romano is my recommendation. You can always add any Italian herbs and spices such as basil and rosemary or instead of a white sauce, cook up a Bolognese red sauce...I'll talk about that another time.

Even though we are fairly close to the Razorback piggies of Arkansas ('SooooooPigs!') , we do not have on hand any wild boar.  You can substitute pancetta, salami or even bacon.  I chose Soppressata which has a stronger, saltier flavor and it was delicious with the crunch of the walnuts.  You can leave out the meat for a vegetarian version.  If you cannot find strozzapreti pasta (Whole Foods or order through Amazon or any Italian on-line grocer), substitute with fusilli--you want the pasta to choke the sauce in its crevices...no pun intended, of course.

STROZZAPRETI
1 lb pasta
sea salt
1/4 c walnut pieces
1/4 c pancetta, Italian salami or bacon
1 egg yolk, 1/4 c cream, 1/4 c white wine
1/2 c grated Pecorino Romano cheese and more to grate at table
1-2 TBSP olive oil


Take walnuts and roast on baking sheet in 325 degree oven for 10 minutes, remove and chop into small pieces.  Chop the meat into very small pieces.  Put a tablespoon olive oil in skillet or saucepan and saute meat to heat through.  Keep warm.  Right before serving, heat cream, wine and cook until reduced and thickened--about 10 minutes.  Add meat and walnut pieces and stir.

Grate 1/2 c Pecorino Romano cheese.  Cut more for grating at table.

In a large pot, fill 3/4 with water and a handful of sea salt.  Bring to rapid boil.  Add pasta and cook al dente (just firm enough to be done but not wimpy and overcooked).  Drain but do not rinse the pasta and hold out 1/4-1/2 c liquid to refresh the pasta.  Put pasta into serving dish and add some of the liquid--you can add more later if you prefer.  Immediately mix egg yolk and cheese into the warm pasta, drizzle with 1-2 TBSP olive oil, stir in sauce.

GOLDEN BEETS

These were so easy and soooo delicious.  Just peel, cube, drizzle with olive oil and heat in a 375 oven for approximately 25 minutes or until fork tender.  Coat with 1-2 TBSP honey, stir and let caramelize for another five minutes.  Lightly sprinkle some fresh basil right before serving.  These do not taste like the canned beets we were forced to eat as kids.  Trust me on this.

Serve with chunks of Italian, crusty bread and Chianti Classico. Magnifico!