Have you ever eaten “Priest-chokers?”

We are talking about the strozzapreti; but why does it translate to priest-chokers? Well, the history of this pasta and its name is strongly connected to the political history of this region. In fact, its origins date back to the Papal domination of the region Emilia Romagna, but the first written reference to this recipe is to be found only in the 16th century.

According to one of the most popular legends this dish originated from the custom of the Church to collect huge amounts of taxes. Besides the taxes, they would take it a step further and also collect all the eggs produced by the peasants. These people would then be left having to make a living solely on water, salt and flour. Therefore, the strozzapreti were created while thinking about the rich priests in a non-friendly way. In fact, this pasta would be offered to the priest, hoping they would choke.

The original recipe from Emilia Romagna for this pasta is very simple and does not require eggs as it is made of flour, water and salt; however, over time many regions have developed their own versions of strozzapreti. This pasta works particularly well with thicker sauces like a delicious ragù, which is typical of this region.

Here’s why the pasta strozzapreti translates to “priest-chokers!”

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