Potato and Spinach Strucolo, or Strucolo di Patate e Spinaci: A strucolo is a Friulian strudel, which is wrapped in cloth and boiled rather than baked. They're often made with doughs that contain other ingredients in addition to flour. This recipe, which would be served as a first course (or could be a light lunch with a tossed salad), will be a tasty alternative to ravioli. To serve 6 you'll need:
Prep Time: 40 minutes
Cook Time: 80 minutes
Ingredients:
- For the dough
- 2 1/4 pounds (1 k) potatoes
- 3 eggs, lightly beaten
- 2 cups and 1 tablespoon (250 g) flour
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter
- A packet of yeast (Italian packets are about a tablespoon of the equivalent of baking powder)
- Salt
- For the filling
- 8 ounces (200 g) fresh ricotta
- 8 ounces (200 g) spinach, washed, heated until it wilts, squeezed almost dry, and coarsely shredded
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter
- A clove garlic, minced
- An egg yolk
- 1 cup (50 g) grated Parmigiano
- A pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
- Salt & pepper to taste
- To season
- 2/3 cup melted unsalted butter
- Bread crumbs
- A dusting of powdered cinnamon (optional)
Preparation:
Boiling the potatoes in salted water until a skewer penetrates easily in salted water, then peel them and put them through a potato ricer. Turn the mixture out onto your work surface and combine it with the remaining ingredients of the dough, working them until the dough is uniform. Moisten a muslin cloth and roll the dough out over it to a thickness of about a half inch (1 cm).
While the potatoes are boiling, prepare the spinach; the water that remains on the leaves when you've finished washing them should be sufficient to heat it. Heat the butter in a casserole with the garlic and sauté the spinach for a few minutes, then turn the mixture out into a bowl and let it cool. Add the ricotta, cheese egg, and nutmeg and mix well.
Spread the filling over the dough and then grip one edge of the cloth parallel to the edge of the dough and lift it so that the dough falls over on itself; continue lifting gently to keep the dough moving, so it rolls up like a jellyroll. Wrap the strudel in the cloth, tie it shut lest it open, and heat a pot of water. Once it reaches a boil salt it, reduce the heat, slide the strudel into the pot and simmer it for about 50 minutes.
Melt the butter and heat the breadcrumbs in it.
Remove the strudel from the pot, unwrap it, slice it, and sprinkle the slices with well-buttered breadcrumbs, adding a dusting of cinnamon if you'd like.
A note: You can, if you'd like, omit the spinach and the Parmigiano. If you do, make the filling with 10 ounces (250 g) ricotta, 2 whole eggs, 1/4 cup unsalted butter, 4 tablespoons of sour cream, and Salt & pepper to taste.
While the potatoes are boiling, prepare the spinach; the water that remains on the leaves when you've finished washing them should be sufficient to heat it. Heat the butter in a casserole with the garlic and sauté the spinach for a few minutes, then turn the mixture out into a bowl and let it cool. Add the ricotta, cheese egg, and nutmeg and mix well.
Spread the filling over the dough and then grip one edge of the cloth parallel to the edge of the dough and lift it so that the dough falls over on itself; continue lifting gently to keep the dough moving, so it rolls up like a jellyroll. Wrap the strudel in the cloth, tie it shut lest it open, and heat a pot of water. Once it reaches a boil salt it, reduce the heat, slide the strudel into the pot and simmer it for about 50 minutes.
Melt the butter and heat the breadcrumbs in it.
Remove the strudel from the pot, unwrap it, slice it, and sprinkle the slices with well-buttered breadcrumbs, adding a dusting of cinnamon if you'd like.
A note: You can, if you'd like, omit the spinach and the Parmigiano. If you do, make the filling with 10 ounces (250 g) ricotta, 2 whole eggs, 1/4 cup unsalted butter, 4 tablespoons of sour cream, and Salt & pepper to taste.
