L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 2024 www.italoamericano.org 22 L'Italo-Americano V ignarola is a traditional dish from the Lazio region of Italy, k n o w n f o r i t s simplicity and freshness. A true celebration of spring in a d i s h , v i g n a r o l a ' s r o o t s sink deep into Roman culi- nary tradition, in a delight- ful embrace of the season's most typical fresh produce: a r t i c h o k e s , p e a s , s p r i n g o n i o n s , a n d f a v a b e a n s , often complemented with asparagus and even lettuce. To many people, nothing r epr esents the tr ansition f r o m w i n t e r t o s p r i n g a s well as vignarola, with its f e a s t o f g r e e n h u e s a n d invigorating, mouth-water- ing fragrance, the result of how its ingredients are gen- tly stewed in olive oil and just enough water to make them tender, but without losing their crunch. In case you decide to add a little more water, vignarola can become an excellent base for pasta and risotto dishes. For a richer taste, you can add guanciale or pancetta and take vignarola to the next level. While its history is not v e r y c l e a r , w e k n o w v i g - narola was born, very likely, in the areas around Vel- letri, and it was a favored dish of local farmers, who would prepare it with fresh- ly picked vegetables to "test" their quality and determine their selling price: the more flavorful the peas and fava beans, the more they would cost. Back in those days, it w a s a l s o c o m m o n t o adapt vignarola's ingredi- ents to what was in season, making it both a seasonal and year-round dish. And it is also for this reason, per- haps, that we don't have a "historical" recipe for it, but r a t h e r , m a n y v a r i a t i o n s u p o n a w e l l - e s t a b l i s h e d theme of — we said — arti- chokes, fava beans, peas, Roman lettuce, and fresh spring onions. The name "vignarola" is believed to have even more a n c i e n t r o o t s t h a n t h e recipe, with many thinking it can be traced back to the Roman Empire, where vig- narolo referred to vegetable gardeners. Other theories suggest it c o m e s f r o m t h e m e a l o f vineyard workers or from the habit of cultivating its ingredients between vine rows. Curiously, there are other v e r s i o n s o f v i g n a r o l a i n o t h e r p a r t s o f I t a l y , notably Tuscany and Sici- ly. The Tuscan version of this dish, known as garmu- gia, comes from Lucca and offers yet another delightful taste of spring with its mix o f f r e s h v e g e t a b l e s a n d meats. Just like its Roman counterpart, garmugia is rich in history and includes quintessentially springtime vegetables like artichokes, asparagus, peas, and fava b e a n s , c o m b i n e d w i t h pancetta and ground beef or veal. The standard presence o f m e a t s i n t h e r e c i p e i s what sets garmugia apart from vignarola, as well as its more soup-like texture. B u t p e r h a p s w h a t makes garmugia truly dif- f e r e n t — a l s o f r o m m a n y other famous Tuscan dishes, which have notably "poor" origins — is its aristocratic roots: indeed, it was made with vegetables and meats i n t h e k i t c h e n o f T u s c a n l o r d s , a n d o f t e n g i v e n t o people recovering from ill- n e s s o r t o w o m e n a f t e r childbirth. The preparation of gar- m u g i a i n v o l v e s a b a s e o f spring onions or scallions s a u t é e d w i t h p a n c e t t a o r guanciale, to which ground meat is added and browned. Vegetables are then intro- duced to the pot, starting with artichokes to absorb the meat flavors, followed by fava beans, peas, and finally asparagus, ensuring each vegetable retains its texture and freshness. The dish is s i m m e r e d i n v e g e t a b l e broth, although water can be substituted, and is tradition- a l l y s e r v e d w i t h t o a s t e d bread, which can be rubbed with garlic for added fla- v o r . G a r m u g i a c a n b e adjusted to personal taste by varying the quantity of veg- etables or meat and even adapted to a vegan version by omitting the meat com- ponents. The Sicilian cousin of vig- narola is called frittedda, a f r e s h a n d v i v a c i o u s springtime dish that com- bines fresh fava beans, peas, and artichokes. To make it, you just need to sauté the vegetables lightly, with min- i m a l s t i r r i n g s o t h e y c a n preserve their unique tex- tures and flavors. Tradition- ally, frittedda is made in the e a r l y s p r i n g , a r o u n d t h e feast day of San Giuseppe, on March 19th, when the first peas and broad beans are in season. The dish is thought to have originated in northwestern Sicily, in the area between Palermo and Trapani, but versions of it can be found across the island, each with local varia- t i o n s , s o m e o f w h i c h c a n also include asparagus, just like in vignarola and gar- mugia. Curiously, the prepara- t i o n o f f r i t t e d d a v a r i e s among recipes more than it h a p p e n s f o r v i g n a r o l a and garmugia: some ver- sions suggest blanching wild fennel and using its cooking water to simmer the vegeta- bles, which gives the dish with a subtle aniseed flavor; this technique, along with the addition of a touch of vinegar and sugar, intro- duces a mild sweet-and-sour taste typical of many Sicilian d i s h e s ( w e ' r e l o o k i n g a t you, caponata!). Contrarily to its Tuscan and Roman relatives, frittedda is usually served cold, which means it is even nicer the next day, when flavors had the time to meld and intensify. All of these recipes are not only delicious but also v e r y g o o d f o r y o u : f a v a b e a n s a n d p e a s p r o v i d e plant-based protein and are high in vitamins A, B, and C, which support everything f r o m m u s c l e g r o w t h a n d e n e r g y l e v e l s t o i m m u n e function and skin health. Artichokes add to the mix with their high fiber con- tent, magnesium, and vita- min C, promoting digestive health and lowering blood sugar levels; the leafy greens (in vignarola) and spring onions offer additional vita- mins A, C, and K, folate, and i r o n , w h i c h m a k e s t h e s e dishes great for bone health, f o r r e d u c i n g t h e r i s k o f blood clotting and for help- ing the immune system. Vignarola, a recipe that tastes like spring FRANCESCA BEZZONE A plate of Vignarola, a traditional spring dish from Lazio (Photo: FVPhotography/Shutterstock) LA BUONA TAVOLA RECIPES COOKING TIPS SEASONAL DISHES OPEN 8AM - 5PM MONDAY TO SATURDAY. SUNDAY CLOSED

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