A specialty of Trentino, this rustic gnocchi dish was invented to make use of leftover bread and the herbs picked in the fields. Known in Italian as Strangolapreti, literally translated as “priest chokers,” this spinach gnocchi is easy to make and a delicious way to avoid food waste while taking advantage of seasonal herbs.
Adapted from The Regional Italian Cookbook by The Silver Spoon (Phaidon, US $59.95, 2025)
Spinach Gnocchi
4
servings1
hour20
minutesIngredients
14 ounces 14 /400 g stale bread, crusts removed and cut into cubes
17 fl oz 17 /2 cups/500 ml milk
1 pound 1 2 ounces/500 g fresh spinach
Extra-virgin olive oil, for sautéing
2 2 eggs
3 1/2 ounces 3 1/2 /1 1/4 cups/100 g grated hard cheese, such as Parmesan, plus extra to serve (optional)
Grated nutmeg, for sprinkling
3 1/2 ounces 3 1/2 /generous 3/4 cup/100 g Italian “00” flour, plus extra if needed
3 ounces 3 /3/4 stick/80 g unsalted butter
A few A few fresh sage leaves
Salt
Directions
- Place the bread in a large bowl, pour in the milk, and leave to soak for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally so that the milk is completely absorbed.
- Meanwhile, cook the spinach in a large saucepan of boiling water for about 5 minutes. Remove the spinach from the pan, set aside to cool, then squeeze the leaves very well to drain. Chop the leaves with a knife. Heat a little extra-virgin olive oil in a large skillet (frying pan), add the spinach, and sauté for 2 minutes.
- Squeeze the soaked bread well, then crumble it with your hands or chop it with a knife. Add to a large bowl with the spinach, eggs, grated cheese, a pinch of salt, and a sprinkling of nutmeg and stir everything with a spoon to combine.
- Add the flour and mix until combined. It should be compact enough to be used in a pastry (piping) bag. The amount of flour you will need to add may vary slightly depending on how moist the initial mixture is.
- Bring plenty of salted water to a boil in a large saucepan. Make the gnocchi by piping 11/4-inch/3-cm-long pieces of the mixture directly into the water. When they float to the top, leave them to cook for a few more minutes.
- Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large skillet (frying pan) and add the sage leaves to flavor it. Using a slotted spoon, remove the gnocchi from the cooking water and transfer them to the pan with the melted butter. Swirl the pan to coat the gnocchi in the butter without breaking them. Finish with a sprinkling of grated cheese as desired. Serve immediately.
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