Sturzapreti ('priest-stranglers' in Corsican — the same irreverent name found across Italy as strozzapreti, reflecting the shared Italic culinary heritage) are Corsica's signature dumplings: rolled cylinders of brocciu, Swiss chard, eggs, and flour, poached and served with tomato sauce and grated aged cheese. The name's legend varies: either the priests ate so many that they choked, or the housewives made them so well that the visiting priest was strangled by his own greed. The preparation: wilt 500g Swiss chard leaves (green only, stems removed), squeeze dry in a cloth (this step is critical — excess water makes the dumplings fall apart), and chop finely. Mix with 400g well-drained fresh brocciu, 2 beaten eggs, 100g grated brocciu passu or aged tomme corse, 80g flour, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. The mixture should be firm enough to hold its shape when rolled — add flour sparingly if too wet. Roll into cylinders approximately 2cm in diameter and 5cm long, rolling each one over the tines of a fork to create grooves that catch the sauce. Poach in gently simmering salted water for 3-4 minutes — they are done when they float to the surface. Remove with a slotted spoon, arrange in a gratin dish, cover with tomato sauce (a simple Corsican tomato sauce: olive oil, garlic, crushed tomatoes, basil, simmered 30 minutes), scatter with grated brocciu passu, and gratinée under a hot grill for 5 minutes. The result is one of the most satisfying pasta-adjacent dishes in Mediterranean cuisine: soft, light dumplings with the delicate brocciu flavor, the minerality of the chard, and the bright acidity of the tomato sauce. Sturzapreti are the Corsican equivalent of Italian malfatti or gnudi — ricotta-based dumplings that prove that the simplest pasta traditions are often the best.
Brocciu + Swiss chard + eggs + flour, rolled into cylinders. Fork-grooved for sauce. Poach 3-4 minutes (float = done). Serve with tomato sauce and grated brocciu passu. Gratinée under grill. Squeeze chard bone-dry (critical). Sturzapreti = 'priest-stranglers.' Corsican equivalent of Italian gnudi/malfatti.
The chard must be wrung in a cloth until absolutely no liquid comes out — this takes real force. Test one dumpling first: if it holds together in the simmering water, the mixture is correct. If it falls apart, add a beaten egg and 20g more flour. For the tomato sauce: use ripe summer tomatoes crushed by hand, simmered with olive oil, sliced garlic, and torn basil — nothing more. The gratinée finish (5 minutes under a hot grill until the cheese is golden and the sauce is bubbling) elevates the dish from simple to magnificent. Sturzapreti can be made ahead, arranged in the gratin dish, covered, and refrigerated — gratinée just before serving.
Not squeezing the chard dry enough (the single most common failure — excess water = falling-apart dumplings). Making too large (2cm × 5cm — larger ones don't cook through evenly). Boiling instead of simmering (aggressive boiling breaks them apart — gentle simmer only). Using too much flour (80g is enough — more makes them heavy and doughy). Skipping the fork grooves (they catch the tomato sauce — the texture is functional). Using wet brocciu (drain well in a cloth before mixing).
La Cuisine Corse Traditionnelle — Christiane Schapira; Pasta di Corsica