Rustichella d'Abruzzo Strozzapreti

Legend has it that strozzapreti, or "priest chokers," were invented hundreds of years ago, when Italian priests were allowed to eat for free in homes and restaurants. Bitter restaurateurs created these long, twisted noodles in the hope that the freeloading priests might choke on their pasta before they could get to the more pricey meat or fish course.

It's perhaps not the friendliest way for a pasta to be born, but we sure are glad strozzapreti came into the world. These unusual rolled noodles have uneven texture that give them a chewy and very satisfying bite. Strozzapreti has a spicy history, so serve it with a sauce to match, perhaps an Arrabbiata sauce or a duck ragù spiked with chile.

Rustichella d’Abruzzo is the leading artisan pasta maker in Italy, with the widest assortment of regionally-inspired pasta shapes. Pasta maker Gianluigi Peduzzi forages the country for traditional and unusual shapes to include in the vast Rustichella d’Abruzzo pasta cornucopia.