This Type Of Pasta Is Made Only Of 2 Ingredients

It's not often you find delectable, homemade food consisting of just two ingredients. Especially food that's undeniably hearty and comforting. But that's exactly what you'll experience as you sink your teeth into perfectly al dente strozzapreti, corkscrew-shaped pasta from the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy (via Italian Food Forever).

There's no shortage of creative names when it comes to Italian pasta — spaghetti means thin strings, vermicelli refers to little worms, farfalle symbolizes butterflies, conchiglie denotes shells, and orecchiette was coined because the pasta resembles little ears (via TheLocal.it). But priest stranglers? That's the literal translation of strozzapreti; in Italian strozza means "to strangle" and preti means "priests" (via The Vintage News).

What drove the Italians to label this pasta so fiercely? There are many tales, but one popular story suggests that the pasta was named during a time when the Catholic church owned a lot of land in the Romagna region; land that was rented to farmers. The farmers' wives often paid rent in the form of pasta, a practice that angered the husbands so much, they wished the priests choked while eating (via The Pasta Project). Another legend claims that a ravenous traveling priest entered a convent, demanded food from the sisters, and proceeded to choke on the noodles he scarfed down (via The Kitchn). Yet another account claims that strozzapreti refers to the curly leather shoelaces used to strangle priests during the rebellion against the Papal States (via Delishably).

How is strozzapreti made? According to The Pasta Project, the dough is a simple blend of flour and water — no eggs or pasta machine required. Once the dough is crafted, kneaded, and allowed to rest, it's rolled out, cut into thin strips, and rolled into loose corkscrews. To achieve the best shape, Bon Appétit suggests gently twisting the strips of dough with one hand while grasping them with the other.

Once formed, strozzapreti needs just a few minutes in generously salted, rapidly boiling water to reach its perfectly al dente state (via The Kitchn).

What sauces pair well with strozzapreti? According to BBC goodfood, twisted pasta shapes are best served with light, smooth sauces (like pesto) because they cling to every curl. Not Quite Nigella adds that because strozzapreti is from the eastern part of the Emilia-Romagna region, close to the Adriatic Sea, many traditional recipes feature seafood, including her strozzapreti with tomatoes, garlic, and prawns. Head over to Food & Wine and you'll find their delectable, slightly fiery strozzapreti dish boasting pancetta, tomatoes, parsley, mint, and dried red chile.

The Luna Café offers a hearty strozzapreti dish showcasing spicy sausage, vibrant broccolini, and a fennel-infused, velvety garlic cream sauce.

For a bright and fresh vegetarian meal, Epicurious celebrates strozzapreti by tossing the pasta with spinach, toasted bread crumbs, and three different forms of lemon — the fresh juice, grated zest, and preserved lemon peel.