Strangolapreti are hearty bread and spinach dumplings from Trentino-Alto Adige. They’re made with leftover crusty bread, spinach and cheese, then served in a simple sage-and-butter sauce. Comforting, rustic and perfect for using up stale bread.
Strangolapreti—literally “priest stranglers”—are a traditional specialty from the mountainous Trentino-Alto Adige region of northern Italy. One popular explanation for the name dates back to the medieval mezzadria system, where tenant families worked land owned by wealthier landlords, including clergy. When landlords collected their share, tenant families often had to feed them a meal made from whatever remained; the name Strangolapreti is said to have grown from those hard circumstances. Whatever its origin, the dumplings are delicious and deeply rooted in peasant cooking.
These dumplings are an excellent way to use leftover stale bread. If your bread isn’t fully stale you can still make them—just add a little more flour if the mixture feels too wet.
Scroll for the recipe, ingredient notes, step-by-step photos, tips and serving suggestions.
Ingredients
Ingredient notes and substitutions
- Stale bread – use crusty white bread torn into chunks before blitzing into crumbs.
- Grana Padano – Parmigiano Reggiano or Pecorino Romano both work well; freshly grate for best flavour.
- Milk – whole milk gives richness, but lower-fat milk is fine.
Visual walk-through of the recipe
- Make breadcrumbs – tear bread into chunks and pulse to fine crumbs in a food processor. Place crumbs in a bowl and add the milk to soak (photos 1–4).
- Wilt the spinach – add spinach to a large pan, cover and let it wilt on medium-low. Add a tablespoon of water if needed; it should wilt in a few minutes (photos 5–6).
- Rinse, drain and chop – rinse wilted spinach under cold water, squeeze out as much water as possible and finely chop (photos 7–8).
- Mix the dumpling base –combine chopped spinach with breadcrumbs, eggs, grated cheese, flour, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Mix until combined, then form walnut-sized oval dumplings using wet hands because the mixture is sticky (photos 9–12).
- Place formed Strangolapreti on a plate dusted with semola (fine semolina) so they don’t stick (photo 13).
- Make the sauce –melt butter in a pan and add sage. When the cooking water is boiling, add the dumplings (photo 14).
- Serve –when the dumplings float they are cooked. Transfer them to the butter and sage, toss for 1–2 minutes, then serve topped with more grated cheese (photos 15–16).
Recipe tips
- Consistency –the mixture should be sticky but shaped easily with wet hands. If it’s too wet add flour 1 tablespoon at a time (usually no more than 4 tbsp). Avoid adding too much flour to keep the dumplings light.
- Use wet hands –wetting your hands prevents sticking; rinse and wet them again as you shape each dumpling.
Yes. The mixture can be refrigerated for 1–2 days. If you form the dumplings a day ahead, place them on a generous dusting of semola so they don’t stick.
Store leftovers in the fridge for 2–3 days and reheat gently in a pan with more butter and sage.
Serving suggestions
Traditionally Strangolapreti are served with sage and butter, but they’re also excellent in a hot chicken broth—especially comforting in autumn and winter. Add the dumplings straight into hot broth and when they float the soup is ready.
For a richer variation, bake them gratin-style with a little bechamel and extra Grana Padano or Parmigiano Reggiano. A light Parmigiano cream sauce also pairs beautifully, though it’s rich so a small amount is enough.
More gnocchi recipes to try
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Gnocchi alla Sorrentina
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Beetroot Ricotta Gnudi in Sage & Butter
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Homemade Potato Gnocchi – Step by Step
Gnocchi
Gnocchi Carbonara
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Step By Step Photos Above
Most recipes include step-by-step photos and helpful tips.
Strangolapreti (Spinach and Bread Dumplings)
By Emily
Equipment
- Food processor
Ingredients
- 17.5 oz (500g) spinach
- 8.8 oz (250g) stale white crusty bread (about 4 cups breadcrumbs)
- ¾ cup (200ml) whole milk
- 2 large eggs
- 1 scant cup (60g) Grana Padano (or Parmigiano Reggiano)
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (plus up to 2–4 tbsp extra if needed)
- 1 pinch nutmeg
- 6 tablespoons (75g) unsalted butter
- 8–10 sage leaves
- Salt and pepper
- Semola (fine semolina) for dusting
Instructions
- Tear bread into small pieces and pulse in a food processor to fine crumbs. Tip into a bowl, add the milk and leave to absorb while you prepare the spinach.
- Add spinach to a large pan over medium-low heat, cover and let wilt. Add 1 tablespoon water if needed and stir occasionally until fully wilted.
- Transfer spinach to a colander and run under cold water. Squeeze out as much water as possible and finely chop.
- Combine chopped spinach with breadcrumbs, eggs, grated cheese, flour, nutmeg and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Mix until combined. If very wet, add another 1–2 tablespoons flour.
- Sprinkle semola on a plate. With wet hands shape walnut-sized oval dumplings and place on semola. Continue until all mixture is used.
- When water is boiling, melt butter in a large frying pan over medium-low heat, add sage and let it simmer gently.
- Cook the dumplings in boiling water (in batches if necessary). When they float, transfer to the butter and sage with a slotted spoon. Toss for 1–2 minutes and serve with extra grated cheese.
Video
Notes
- Mixture consistency –the mixture should be sticky but easy to shape with wet hands. If too wet, add flour 1 tablespoon at a time (usually no more than 4 tbsp).
- Serving suggestion –for a warming alternative, serve Strangolapreti in hot chicken broth.
Helpful info for all recipes
- I use extra virgin olive oil unless stated otherwise.
- All vegetables are medium size unless noted.
- Recipes are tested using a fan (convection) oven unless stated.
- Nutrition is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximation.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is an approximation.
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