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Strangolapreti alla Trentina
Recipe adapted from Jonathan Saywer, Trentina, Cleveland, OH
Yield: 4 servings
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Ingredients
4 cups fresh spinach, stemmed and washed
4 cups coarsely grated day-old bread
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
½ cup whole milk ricotta or mascarpone cheese
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon salt
All-purpose flour, for dusting
½ cup Robiola La Tur or Taleggio cheese
3 tablespoons butter
12 fresh sage leaves
3 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
Directions
1. Prepare an ice bath. Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil and add the spinach. Boil until wilted, about 4 minutes, drain and transfer to ice bath. Once cooled, place spinach in a cheesecloth and squeeze until completely dry. Transfer spinach to a clean workspace and finely chop.
2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. In a large mixing bowl, combine the spinach, grated bread, 1 cup of the Parmigiano-Reggiano, ricotta or mascarpone, 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, egg and salt. Mix until everything is incorporated.
3. Place two tablespoons of the dough in the palm of your hand and flatten into a ¼-inch-thick disk. Place 2 teaspoons of the Robiola or Taleggio cheese in the center of the disc. Bring the edges of the dough over to encase the cheese. Roll into a ball between the palms of your hands. Dust with flour and set on a rimmed parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough; you should have 12 dumplings.
4. Add the dumplings to the boiling water and cook until they begin to float, about 7 minutes. While the dumplings are cooking, heat the remaining olive oil in a large, deep skillet over medium high heat. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the dumplings to the skillet. Reserve ⅓ cup of pasta water.
5. Fry the dumplings, rotating them with a wooden spoon so that all sides brown evenly, until deep golden brown, about 6 minutes. Add the butter and sage to the pan and continue cooking for 2 minutes more, basting the dumplings with the butter.
6. Divide the dumplings and sage leaves among four plates. Add the vinegar and ⅓ cup of the reserved pasta water to the pan and boil until reduced by half. Spoon sauce over dumplings and garnish with remaining Parmigiano-Reggiano.
