Vignole

vignole fresh pasta with spring vegetables

Prep Time:

Cook time:

Serves: 6

Description

This dish is a great way to incorporate all the fresh vegetables of spring from wild asparagus to roman artichokes & sweet fava. The dish originated in Rome, they called it vignarola or vignole but it can be found here as well in Le Marche. It's a versatile dish that you can make as a primo or pasta dish or as a stew/soup by adding more vegetable stock (and a good hunk of crusty bread).

We ask just one thing of you - Please, please use fresh pasta in this dish - it will make it much softer & worth the effort or cost - you will taste the difference. We use spaghetti alla chitarra or tagliatelle (local pastas), but if you can't find those types just try regular spaghetti, linguine or fettuccine.

Ingredients

• 12 – 16 oz of fresh pasta
• 4 – 5 small artichokes
• sea salt and pepper
• 1 leek, outer leaves removed, cut into 3-inch lengths, washed
• ½ lb chard (or other nice leafy greens)
• extra virgin olive oil
• 1 small white onion, chopped
• ¾ cup of vegetable stock (add another ¾ cup if you are making into a stew) - use the water you will using to blanch the veggies in.
• 12 oz fresh shelled peas
• 12 oz of fresh shelled fava (or half a grocery bag full of the beans)
• one bunch of asparagus
• small bunch fresh mint and parsley

Directions

1. Put artichokes into a pot of cold, salted water and bring to a boil.
2. Boil for about 10 minutes or until tender (you can check by inserting a knife into the heart) and drain (tip: Jason puts a plate on top of the boiling water of artichokes so they don't pop out and stay under water!)
3. Allow to cool, then peel off the outer leaves until you find the pale tender ones, remove the choke (fuzzy white parts) using a spoon.
4. Cut the hearts into quarters.
5. Fill the pot with new water, add salt and bring to a boil.
6. Blanch the fava beans for a minute, remove from water with a slotted spoon.
7. Blanch the leeks for 3 -4 minutes, until tender, and the chard until just wilted.
8. Heat a large saucepan, big enough to hold all the ingredients, and add a good splash of oil.
9. Cook the onion, low and slow for about 10 minutes until soft.
10. Cut the tough parts of the asparagus off the bottom and discard, cut into quarter inch pieces.
11. Sauté for 2-3 minutes with onion.
12. Then add vegetable stock (the water used to blanch the fava, leeks and chard) and the peas, bring to a boil.
13. Simmer for about 10 minutes, until the peas are cooked and soft.
14. Chop leeks into strips, run a knife through the chard and stir into the pan.
15. Add the artichoke hearts and fava beans and let simmer for a few minutes.
16. Finish with salt and pepper to taste a small bunch of chopped fresh mint and parsley.
17. Add a few glugs of olive oil.
18. Toss with pasta and drizzle with a bit more olive oil for the bright flavors and colors of spring! sprinkle with fresh grated Parmesan or grana padano.

Note: You may need a few spoonfuls of pasta water if the dish looks too dry.