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Strangozzi

Mary Ann Esposito

In Umbria, during the rule of the Papacy, people literally attacked the clergy in the streets and tried to strangle them with their shoelaces. Hence the name of this pasta. Of course we must take this explanation with a grain of salt (no pun intended) since the dough is made without salt in protest to the tax on salt levied by the church during the Salt war in Perugia in 1540. The Sauce is very simple and a mixture of garlic, olive oil, parsley, a little fresh hot red pepper, tomato paste and white wine. Cheese is not used with this sauce.

Makes 1 pound 4 ounces dough

Ingredients

1 3/4 cup King Arthur all-purpose flour
1 cup durum flour
Water as needed (about 1 cup)

Sauce #1

4 tablespoons Filippo Berio extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic minced
1/2 cup minced parsley
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup dry white wine

Sauce #2

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 black truffle, grated
2/3 cup grated Pecorino cheese

Directions

For the Dough

Combine the ingredients to make a soft but not sticky dough. Let it rest covered for thirty minutes. Then roll and cut as for fettucine using a pasta machine. Spread the strangozzi on floured towels.

When ready to cook, boil the strangozzi in salted water until al dente; drain and sauce.

For Sauce #1 (Enough to Dress 1/2 pound strangozzi)

Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan; stir in the garlic and cook until the garlic softens. Add the parsley and continue to cook for a few minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and cook a couple of minutes. Raise the heat to high and stir in the wine. Boil the sauce for a couple of minutes.

For Sauce #2 (Enough to dress 1/2 pound strangozzi)
Tartufaglia

Gently heat the olive oil and add the truffle; let it steep in the oil while the strangozzi are cooking.
Drain the strangozzi and toss with the oil and truffle sauce. Stir in the cheese.

This recipe is featured on show 2212 – Umbrian Cooking / La Cucina Umbra.

item recipe is featured in Episode 2212 of Season 22.

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Comments

Carl Ratner

July 23, 2012 at 10:14pm | Permalink

There is something missing from this recipe. Strangozzi is more like a bootlace than a ribbon. It should be thicker than linguine and no more than twice as wide as it is thick. It is like a square or slightly rectangular spaghetti. If you cut it like fettucine it will be too flat and too wide. It is more like two linguine glued on top of each other. BUT...sauce number two, that is the real thing as I ate it in Umbria!

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Carl Ratner

July 23, 2012 at 10:14pm | Permalink

There is something missing from this recipe. Strangozzi is more like a bootlace than a ribbon. It should be thicker than linguine and no more than twice as wide as it is thick. It is like a square or slightly rectangular spaghetti. If you cut it like fettucine it will be too flat and too wide. It is more like two linguine glued on top of each other. BUT...sauce number two, that is the real thing as I ate it in Umbria!