Strozzapreti Pasta

Throughout much of modern history, the Italian language has had fewer words in its lexicon than most other languages, and that includes its cousins, the Romance languages. Granted, the gap has lessened over the last century but the fact that it existed at all is because Italian, being an ancient language, was so closely descended from Latin, an even more ancient language of even fewer words. So, when it came to identifying their pasta, Italians didn’t create new words but named each after the familiar object it resembled, both real and imagined. We Americans know some of their names but that’s just the tip of the meatball. There are pastas named after just about anything, from little tongues (linguine) to little ears (orecchiette) to the hair of an angel (capelli d’angelo). Some look like shoelaces (stringozzi), others like twine (spaghetti), and still others like ribbons (fettuccine). And then there are the shells, be they from the sea (conchiglie) or the land (lumache). There are the twins (gemelli), flowers (fiori), little bells (campanelle), and little radiators (radiatori). And we mustn’t overlook tortellini, which are said to resemble the navel of Venus. The list goes on and on, far too long to fully explore here. Instead, every now and again I’ll share one that I find interesting and, most importantly, easy to make by hand. To that end, I shared a recipe last May for one obscure pasta called fazzoletti, little handkerchiefs and, in December, Mom’s quadretti, little squares. Today, I thought that I’d share another, the name of which is sure to give you pause. It is strozzapreti, priest choker pasta.

I first learned of strozzapreti when Zia and I were in Florence in 2002. We had a good laugh when the waiter told us the legend behind the pasta’s name, although at the time, I mistakenly thought that he was merely giving us a sales pitch. According to the waiter, strozzapreti is so good that when it was invented and first served to priests, they devoured it so quickly that they choked. You must admit, if you’re trying to sell pasta, that’s a pretty good story to have up your sleeve. Move forward a few years. I’d forgotten all about the pasta until I heard some chef on television mention priests choking. After some web searching, I saw how the pasta was made and strozzapreti became a part of my pasta arsenal. There are, by the way, other legends involving the naming of this pasta but I’m sticking with the one I first learned. (Ya leave the dance with the one that brung ya.)

Strozzapreti are a twisted pasta, about 3 inches in length, vaguely reminiscent of cavatelli. Of course, cavatelli, being machine-made, are consistent in shape and length, while home-made strozzapreti are anything but — and therein lies its charm. Few would ever mistake a dish of home-made strozzapreti for a mass-produced pasta and no mass-produced pasta will ever taste nearly as good as home-made strozzapreti. The latter part of that statement is as good a reason as any for taking the time to make this pasta.

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How to Make Strozzapreti

To start, you’re going to need some dough. I’ve always used Mom’s Pasta Dough here and am perfectly happy with the results. Once you’ve made your dough and rolled it out, the rest is pretty easy, albeit repetitive. Take a dough sheet of about 12 inches long, fold in half, and in half again, until it is no more than 3 inches wide. With a sharp knife, cut tagliatelle-sized noodles and unfold each noodle, as needed. Once unfolded, start at one end and roll the noodle between your palms to create a twisted piece of pasta. Tear off a 3 inch piece and roll the remaining noodle, again and again, tearing off pieces as you go. You’ll find that your pasta will have a tighter spiral if you only roll them in one direction. Going back-and-forth will only wind and unwind the coil. Once you get the hang of it, you’ll manage to make each piece with a single pass between your palms.

One last thing worth mentioning involves the pasta dough. Usually, when you cut pasta, whether by hand or machine, the dough should be dry-ish to prevent the strands from sticking together while being cut. That’s not the case here. If the dough is too dry, the lower, dangling, part will break as you try to roll the upper part to form the strozzapreti. Not only that, you may find it nearly impossible to get enough traction between your palms and the noodle to get it to twist. If you find that you cannot roll the pasta between your palms, try moistening your hands just a bit. Bear in mind, however, that too much water will ruin the pasta. A scant drop of water spread between your palms should do the trick.

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Cut the dough into a strip about 12 inches long.

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Fold the strip in half

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Repeat at least one more time to create a sfoglia

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Cut the sfoglia into tagliatelle-sized pasta

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Unfold 1 noodle

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Place tip at the base of one palm and with other hand's fingertips ...

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... Begin to roll the noodle between your palms

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Tear off a 3 inch piece of the twisted pasta

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Repeat until the entire noodle has been twisted and cut into pieces

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Unfold another noodle and repeat the process until finished

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Tutto fatto!

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Cooked fresh in salted water, strozzapreti will be ready in minutes. If dried or frozen it will take a few minutes more. The pasta’s shape, in my opinion, lends itself to being served with pesto or a tomato sauce, with or without meat. Serve it garnished with grated cheese, while you tell the tale of choking priests, and you’re sure to have satisfied, as well as entertained, dinner companions.

Variations

Although I formed the strozzapreti by rolling the dough between my palms, you can make them using a slender rod or barbecue skewer. Once you’ve unfolded the tagliatelle-like noodle, cut it into 3 inch pieces. Place the rod atop each individual dough piece and roll the two, creating a spiral pasta. Remove the rod and repeat the process with another piece of dough.

Lidia Bastianich makes a version of strozzapreti that is a gnocchi-like dish. I have no doubt that her dish is called strozzapreti, just as I’ve no doubt that we were served the pasta that I’ve described above and it, too, was called strozzapreti. How can this be? Well, obviously, there’s more than one way to choke a priest.

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88 thoughts on “Strozzapreti Pasta

    • I can just see you now, “I’ll take Pasta Names for 2000, Alex.” And with your correct answer of “What is campanelle?”, you not only clear the entire category but you win the game, thus ending Pasta Week on Jeopardy. Huzzah!!!!

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  1. Not only do we get a recipe full of tasty goodness, but a lesson in words, too: quadretti, fazzoletti, orichette and my favorite, capelli d’angelo (any relation to Beverly?). I’m amazed at the preparation that goes into making the pasta. Being a “lay cook” it’s too much for me to do as a single person. I barely have time to press buttons on my microwave. BUT…..I’ll be happy to taste test for the Kitchen anytime!

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    • I’m telling ya, Chris, this is easy and goes much quicker than you think. Get some dough, sit in front of the TV, and you will have a bowlful of strozzapreti before your favorite sitcom has finished.

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  2. Oh John I love, love, love this recipe and this story! It reminds me so much of something that happened in my family when I was abiout 10 years old in Calabria with all the aunties and my granny (English) had come over with us for the summer. The Zie made these (except they used little bamboo sticks and called them “Fileo” but they were they same) and laid them out all over the house on floured cloths and sheets to dry and covered them. The my grandmother came in and tried to sign that she wanted to help and they said “no, no, it´s all done” and she promptly sat on the sofa and destroyed about 3kgs of pasta! She was crying, the aunties were crying, ,my dad and us the children were sent for to interpret…what a drama! We still talk about it to this day in my family as we know how much work it takes to make them. Well done to you, what a fantastic tutorial and a reminder that I now need to make them in honour of my grandmother. Grazie, un bacio

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    • You are so sweet, Tanya, and so very welcome! Yes, I remember those “pasta days,” when pasta was drying seemingly on every flat surface in the house. And woe to the child that let the dog in from the yard! Your poor Nonna. She must have felt terrible, poor thing. (But it is funny.) Good luck making these.You’ll find it is easier and quite a bit quicker than you think it will be.

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  3. What’s not to love in this post John?! The explanation of why Italian is a language of few words is interesting and comedic. The best story, of course, is the strozzapreti. Ha! Then you dive in and show us how to make HOMEMADE strozzapreti and you know what, you actually made it look do-able for pasta amateurs like me. This post is a Homerun in so many ways!

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    • Thank you, Geni, for the compliments. You make far more complicated dishes all of the time. This is really so simple to do. You can do it watching your favorite TV program. Once you get past the first 2 or 3 noodles, the strozzapreti will be flying off of your palms. And you’ll have a great story to tell at the dinner table — once you receive the accolades for having made the pasta, that is. 🙂

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    • Welcome, Colline! This is one of the easiest to make althoug it is repetitive. But it is a “mindless” activity so you can watch your favorite TV show and make a batch. You’ll be surprised how fast they are to make, once you find your rhythm. I know I was the first time.

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  4. OMGosh John that is a work of art, I want a dish of those right now!!! If you are ever in the Atlantic City NJ area please let me know so we can “create” these in my kitchen…Bravo!!

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    • And, trust me, if I get to Atlantic City, I’ll drop by for a strozzapreti lesson. But why wait? This is far easier to do than you think — just repetitive. I’m telling ya, give it a try and you’ll be surprised.

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    • Goodness, Claire! No pasta machine? How does a foodie survive without one? Maybe we should organize a telethon for our WordPress buddies who are without pasta machines. All of these celebrities with cookbooks could make on-air appearances for us. We’ll get you that pasta machine! 🙂

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    • Once you’ve made a few and get a rhythm going, it is a rather relaxing endeavor. I could easily see sitting with a friend or two, chatting and making these. After an hour or so, each of us would have enough for our dinners. Add a little wine and it would be a very enjoyable afternoon.

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  5. John, I so bow to you and your knowledge of Italian food and history!! I had just a vague understanding of some of the pastas but you’ve taught me well! I’m just going to be full of info the next time I’m ordering and choosing my pasta! Really, you also have so much patience to make this. All the little details in rolling, cutting and twisting….each bite is a labor of love for sure!! And I can only image how fabulous a bowl of this pasta must taste..simply sauced it would be heavenly!!

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    • Thank you so much, Linda. These pastas I’m demonstrating are soo easy to make. I wouldn’t steer you wrong. If anything, it may be taxing to create them because the process is so repetitive — but none of it is difficult or requires a specific skillset. Believe me, if skill was required, I’d be doing something else! Once you make your first batch of pasta, no matter what kind, you’ll be hooked. And we haven’t even talked about lasagna yet. 🙂

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  6. John, I so loved this post – the story of course is priceless, but so is the tutorial! When I first opened the post I knew I’d enjoy the reading (always do), but instantly thought I’d leave the pasta-making to the clever expert (that would be you.) By the end, I actually imagined myself rolling little priest chokers! Now must go back and look at the little handkerchiefs. Thanks so much for the joy you bring! You lift us all.

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    • Thanks, Spree, for being so complimentary! These pastas are all easy to make and I would encourage you, and anyone else, to give them a try. To be sure, the flavor difference is major but the level of self-satisfaction is great, too. And then there is the praise you’re sure to receive when you bring the platter of homemade pasta to your dinner companions. You’ll be hooked on ’em like I am. 🙂

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    • Thank you so much, Greg. Lidia is a goddess in my pantheon. She is on TV 3 times each week and I’m lucky enough to record them all. Even though I’ve already seen most of them, I’ll still watch them all, just to see that glint in her eye as she tastes one of her dishes. I love it and I love her!

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  7. I can’t speak Italian, but I did learn Latin at school, which really helped in learning French and Spanish. I can understand a lot of Italian, but haven’t got a clue how to answer!

    Great recipe, narrative and instruction 😉

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    • Thank you. My Italian speaking abilities are much like yours but for different reasons. Although I could speak and understand it quite well as a small child, Mom & Dad used Italian as their secret language. By acting dumb, we learned what our Christmas or birthday gifts were going to be. Soon we lost the ability to speak the language but we did understand most of it. Now, far too many years to mention later, I’ve lost it all. If I’m in Italy, after a couple days, some of it comes back but only enough to be dangerous. Thanks for dropping by!

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  8. Okay, that does it, tell Max and Zia I’m on my way…!

    What an artfully done tutorial and post on making this pasta and how interesting it is to know the history behind, as well as the name translation of, the different pastas. Priest choker pasta…the name and story is hilarious! And you make it look so easy.

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    • But it is easy, Betsy! That’s the thing.You already prepare dishes that are far more complex than this little pasta. None of these pastas Im demonstrating are at all difficult to make, Trust me!

      Thanks for leaving such a nice comment.

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    • You both could sit at a table and, in less than an hour, make more than enough strozzapreti for a dinner for two. And what a tasty dinner that will be, especially if your serve your strozzapreti with a side of your meatballs.

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  9. A wonderfu post John! Thanks for the pasta lesson 101! I never heard of strozzapreti, I can’t wait to share this story with my parents.
    When my grandpa was alive, he use to bake homemade Italian cookies for the priest at our parish. I try to carry on my grandpa’s tradition of baking Italian cookies and bringing them to the priest for special holidays. But can you imagine if I made some strozzapreti for my priest? I think I’ll stick to baking him cookies!
    Again great post, appreciate all the step by step photo’s too. Definitely can see passion in your cooking!

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    • Thanks, Lisa, and I do hope your parents will enjoy hearing about these, if they haven’t already. Love the story of your Grandpa bringing cookies to the priests but I think your idea of leaving behind the strozzapreti the next time you call on your priests is a good one. Better to stick with the cookies! 🙂

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  10. Funny how it’s only priests you can strangle with this kind of pasta. I’m always so impressed with people who go to the trouble of making fresh pasta especially when each individual little piece has to be rolled, folded, cut and twisted. If handed a dish of your pasta I would feel very guilty if I gobbled it down too quickly. Your pasta looks beautiful and thanks for sharing all the history.

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    • Thanks! I am by no means a “handy” person, anywhere. So, the pastas I make by hand are all really simple to make. Even something like ravioli, when broken down into steps, can be easily accomplished. Believe me, I couldn’t make any of this if it wasn’t easy to do. 🙂

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    • Yeah, Christina, give them a try. They’re really very easy to make, just a little repetitive. But, with a name and background story like this, how can you not make them and serve them to friends?

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  11. I absolutely love fresh pasta, and I love your story, I have a vivid image of you and zia in florence…so beautiful. I’m also a ‘absolutely fabulous’ fan and often have been known as Patsy! x

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    • We truly enjoyed that trip, Yvette. She had never been before and still enjoys recalling the sights we saw together. And yes, AbFab is one of my all-time favorite shows. Love that you’ve been called Patsy! Too funny!

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  12. John, you’ve outdone yourself. And that takes some serious doing! What is fabulous about this post? The tutorial. The family history, as always. The ‘linguistics of linguine’ (I’ve adored the etymology of pasta ever since I first learned of some of those cool names). And perhaps best of all, my favorite-named pasta in the whole pantheon. Now, I would like to state for the record that my being enamored of the name Strozzapreti is *not* necessarily based on my being a preacher’s kid. Dad is a great guy, *really*! But I think because it’s a super fun word to say (saying it is almost chewing, in itself) and because I first saw it translated as “priest stranglers” (what a great name for a rock band, eh!), which sounds even more interactive and sinister than “chokers” I couldn’t help but be flooded with dramatic imagery. And that, of course, is something that good Italian food should *always* evoke, in my opinion! Anyway, you absolutely hit the sweet spot here and I loved, loved, loved it!
    Kathryn

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    • High praise, indeed, Kathryn, and thank you so much! One of the other tales of origin to which I alluded deals with the resentment that existed between the religious and the common folk oh, so many years ago. They, the Church hierarchy, ate quite well compared to the peasants. So, when making this pasta, the women in the priests’ kitchens would envision themselves choking the priests as they rolled the pasta between their palms. Not a very pretty picture and the very antithesis of all of the sweet, Italian pasta makers that I’ve had the pleasure of standing alongside. Still, if there’s a lesson to be learned, treat your pasta makers kindly. 🙂

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  13. How completely wonderful. Though choking priests when they come to dinner may be a little less than social. Feeding me these would be just fine. I promise to eat slowly. Esp after all the work to prepare the wee things.. How gorgeous. Have a great evening. Don’t get up too early!! celi

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    • Thanks, Celi, but these are very easy to make. Incredibly so. None of the pastas I’ll show you will be that hard to make. I’m far too ham-fisted to do anything complicated. 🙂

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  14. After looking at your photographs with the steps broken down for someone like me(never made pasta before) I feel that this is the winter of trying my hand at making homemade pasta. We have two stores Groceria Italaiana and Dontellit’s where you can buy fresh pasta but I know the homemade would be the best!
    I have a lot to learn about pasta but I will photograph an apron a friend bought for me in ITaly that has pasta shapes and names all over it!
    Great story, John. As always.

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    • Thank you, Ruth. Few things in life come with guarantees. Yet, I’ll guarantee that if you make pasta at home, you’ll be hooked and will do it again and again. The first time is the hardest but only because of one’s unfamiliarity with the process. After that, it’s easy peasy. And, for a real treat, use the dough sheets to make lasagna. You’ll never buy a box of lasagna noodles again!

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    • Thanks, David, but pasta for breakfast? You’re beginning to sound like me. Making these is nowhere near as time-consuming as one might think. And the reward is very tasty!

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  15. So labor intensive…but SO worth it in the end! Very impressed, John. You’re making your family proud. 🙂 And as others said, thanks for the explanation of the Italian terms, great to know!!

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  16. I have never tried to make pasta and I think this looks like fun! You do make it tempting, and when you talk about it I almost wonder why everyone doesn’t. I love the background you provide your recipes, too, John. I DO love pasta, and now I’ll think about it with a smile. Debra

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    • Thank you, Debra. Making pasta is really far easier than most would think and the reward is a pasta that is so much better than anything you can buy. I still buy dried pasta and always have some on hand, but, if you give me an hour and pasta is on the menu for that night, I’ll easily make my own with time to spare. 🙂

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  17. Oh where to start?! First, this is our next date night at home meal. We love trying new homemade pastas and this one looks like it would be fantastic fun! I love the step-by-step too. That will be very useful. And the name…good one. And I’ll never look at tortellini the same way again!

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    • You and ChefDad could easily crank these out on a date night, Kristy, or get the SousCHefs involved and make it a family affair. No one says each noodle has to be perfect. One of the tortellini legends is that Jupiter and Venus found themselves in an inn outside of Bologna somewhere. The innkeeper only had one room so the gods decided to share it. Later that night, the innkeeper’s curiosity got the better of him so he went to their room’s door to steal a peak through the keyhole. All he could see was the navel of Venus and he rushed to his kitchen, making the circular pasta as a means of remembering what he had seen.

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  18. Thank you, Mandy, You are welcome to come for a lesson anytime but, if you come in the next day or so, better bring a snow shovel. There’s plenty of the white stuff on the ground with a little more forecast this morning. 🙂

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  19. Thanks, Phyllis. Ritchie is in for a real treat! This pasta, as you’ll soon see, is a cinch to make and really does well with a fine tomato or pesto sauce. Best of all, it will give you a chance to handcut your noodles. That will open the door for you to make a number of different pastas. We’re just gettin’ started! 🙂

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    • Yes, Steve, there are a few origins for this pasta’s name. If you ever make it to Italy, get away from the tourist area in any town and go to a market. You will be amazed at the variety of pastas — both fresh and dried — available for purchase. If you’re lucky, the proprietor will speak enough English to tell you the name of each and its origin. For me, it is always an entertaining way to spend some time. Thanks for stopping by and taking the time to comment and leave that link.

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  20. I have had this dish once while in Italy and had totally forgot about it until you mentioned priests chocking. A wonderful and informative post John. Thank you for all of the photos of the whole process.

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    • Thank’s, Karen. Your experience is very similar to our own. We were served strozzapreti and forgot about it. A few years later I heard a chef mention priests choking on pasta coming from a TV in another room. A quick google and I’ve been making — and enjoying — them ever since. 🙂

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    • Thank you, Karen, for your comment and for the nomination. As I’ve just mentioned on your own site, I won’t be accepting this award because I just received it as recently as December 28th. Since then, I’ve also answered the 10 Question quiz and I fear that people are going to get tired of hearing me talk about myself! I’m still honored, though, Karen, and thank you for doing so.

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  21. This is my favorite post and recipe yet. It is one of those that will stick with me, probably forever… I’ll be at a dinner party and will begin telling your story of the naming of pasta and the origin of the Italian language… This is so fascinating for me.. I loved that orecchiette means “little ears” which is the main reason I bought the package (oops, I was supposed to say, made them). I can’t wait to see your future posts with the names and translations along with your recipes:) Thanks again for your 10 questions tag.. I’ve posted on it today!
    ps snowing and cold again today… have you have any snow yet this winter??

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    • Thank you, Smidge, this post was fun to write. There are so many pastas in Italy, and each with its own name and story, seemingly. I wish there was a place to learn how to make some of them by hand — orechiette being one. As it is, I’ll just stick with the ones of which I’m most familiar — and I’ve got a few more up my sleeve! I’ve just read your answers to the 10 Question quiz and thoroughly enjoyed them all. Thank you for your highly complimentary statements about my efforts here. 🙂 As for the snow, we got hit with 6 inches on Friday but, considering it was our first real snowstorm, we’ve done very well. It’s been pretty cold since then but tomorrow and Tuesday are supposed to get well above freezing. How are y’all up North faring?

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  22. I love the story of food, and I enjoyed yours very much. It made me think about the pasta we saw in the shops and even at the airport in honor of Michelangelo’s David. Yep, I had to do a double take on that one, decided it would be best to just walk on by. It did make me laugh though.

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    • It was a real eye-opener, during my first trip to Italy, to see all of the pasta types — and I thought I knew quite a few before leaving for the trip. Still, and I’ve been back a few times, I’ve never seen the “David pasta”. Sure wish I had!

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  25. John, you make this look so easy.., but we know it isn’t. I love the homemade pasta and thank you for taking the time to show us the makings of your divine dishes. This looks perfect! You are inspiring 🙂

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    • But it is easy, Judy. It really is. It’s repetitive, to be sure, but once you’ve made the first few pieces, you’ll be surprised at how simple it is. The real trick is learning to make a good batch of dough. With practice, you get a real feel for the dough. Once you do, any of these handmade pastas are a snap. C’mon. Give it a whirl! 🙂

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  26. Strozzapreti, hmm? So that’s why gluttony is a sin 😉

    You know, you make this look easy enough that even I could make it. All those twists would be a great catchall for delicious sauce…

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    • Of course you can make these! By the time the first couple strands are done, you’ll get the hang of it and off you go! It really is easy, only repetitive. Pour yourself a nice glass of wine and you’ll be done before you know it.

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  27. John, we love strozzapretti too (hard to resist the story, as you say), but never thought to make it at home! And lots of new names to me, I’m going to look out for little bells and flowers, I don’t think I’ve seen either of those! Great read, thank you! 🙂

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    • You are so welcome, Celia. I really enjoy looking for odd pastas when in Italy or even in a well-stocked pasta aisle. If I get lucky, I’ll learn some story of how the pasta came about, just like with strozzapretti. You just cannot make this stuff up! 🙂

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  31. I’ve heard of this pasta but have never eaten it, and had no idea how it got its name. Fascinating! I must try this sometime. Although thinking about the procedure, it seems to me it might be a bit easier to cut the noodles in 3 inch pieces, then roll them between the palms. Rolling, twisting off a piece, and continuing to roll the same noodle seems a bit awkward. Although not having done it, I’m probably missing something! Really good stuff – thanks.

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    • This pasta, like so many, varies a great deal in its execution, depending upon where in Italy you happen to be. I stick with this one because this was the one we enjoyed in Florence.
      I’m reading your suggestion for making them and wondering why I didn’t at least try it that way. I guess that once I found my rhythm, I didn’t see a need to change methods. Even so, next time I’ll give your idea a try. Either way, though, it’s not at all hard to do. In fact, its repetitive nature is almost like meditation and I lose all track of time. 🙂
      Thanks, John. Your comments are always welcome and appreciated.

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