🇮🇹 Italian · Pasta
🍝 Strozzapreti al Ragù
Strozzapreti al Ragù Romagnolo
Strozzapreti — 'priest stranglers' — are hand-rolled, eggless twists of pasta from Romagna, their irregular ridged surface ideal for clinging to a hearty, slow-cooked ragù.
The colorful legend behind the name involves gluttonous priests choking on the pasta after eating too quickly, a tale reflecting the dish's deep roots in rural Romagnolo home cooking, where simple flour-and-water dough was twisted by hand into distinctive shapes.
Ingredients
Equipment: Mixing bowl, Large heavy pot, Large pot for pasta
Strozzapreti dough
- 400 g (3⅓ cups) all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
- 200 ml (¾ cup) warm water
- Pinch of salt
Ragù
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 30 g (2 tbsp) butter
- 1 onion, finely diced
- 1 carrot, finely diced
- 1 celery stalk, finely diced
- 300 g (10 oz) ground beef
- 200 g (7 oz) ground pork
- 120 ml (½ cup) dry red wine
- 500 g (18 oz) canned crushed tomatoes
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, for serving
Method
- Combine the flour, water, and salt into a firm, smooth dough. Knead for 8–10 minutes. Rest, covered, for 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, make the ragù: heat the olive oil and butter in a large pot. Add the onion, carrot, and celery, and cook gently until softened, about 10 minutes.
- Add the beef and pork, browning thoroughly, about 8–10 minutes.
- Pour in the red wine and simmer until evaporated.
- Add the crushed tomatoes, season with salt and pepper, and simmer on very low heat, partially covered, for at least 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
- To shape the strozzapreti: pinch off small pieces of dough and roll between your palms into short, twisted ropes, about 6cm long — the irregular twist is traditional and desired.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the strozzapreti for 3–5 minutes until tender and floating.
- Drain and toss with the ragù.
- Serve immediately with grated Parmigiano.
Chef Tips
- The dough should be firm, not soft — this gives strozzapreti its characteristic substantial, chewy bite.
- Irregular, rustic shaping is traditional — don't worry about perfect uniformity.
- A long, slow ragù simmer develops far more depth than rushing the process.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Making the dough too soft, resulting in pasta that loses its shape when boiled.
- Rushing the ragù simmering time, missing out on its full depth of flavor.
- Overcrowding the pot when cooking the pasta, causing pieces to stick together.
Nutrition (per serving)
Health Benefits
- A good source of protein and iron from the beef and pork.
- The vegetable base adds fiber and micronutrients.
Cultural Note
Strozzapreti is a beloved staple across Romagna and parts of Tuscany, with regional variations on the exact shaping technique, though the hand-twisted, eggless dough remains a constant.
Storage & Serving
Storage: The ragù keeps refrigerated for up to 4 days, or frozen for up to 3 months.
Reheating: Reheat the ragù gently, then toss with freshly cooked strozzapreti.
Serve with: Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, A robust Sangiovese di Romagna wine