From my Italian Kitchen: A Spring Pasta

April 01, 2019 by Joanne Bartram

Last spring I was introduced to agretti - an italian veggie with a very short season. Agretti, with its slender chive-shaped leaves, is considered a delicacy and its appearance in the market is always greeted with excitement.

Agretti, roots and all, comes wrapped in paper - clean and trim before using.

I began to cook with it last spring (see link at the end of this post to read last spring’s post). Experimenting was fun, but before I knew it the agretti season was over.

Since I’ve now waited a whole year for agretti season to roll around again, I was quite excited when I found the first agretti of the spring at my local ortofrutta (small fruit and vegetable market) recently.

I first cooked it as a side dish, a simple sauté in olive oil and garlic finished with a squeeze of lemon and a pinch of salt. This is a classic preparation, no recipe needed.

Next, I decided to try agretti in a pasta dish. I proceeded without a recipe, combining flavors that are classically paired with agretti - lemon juice and olive oil - along with ingredients I had on hand, including pancetta, Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, and penne pasta. The dish tasted bright and lemony, just like spring. I will definitely make this dish again and, if you come across agretti in your local farmer’s market, I hope you will be inspired to try it as well.

Penne with Pancetta, Agretti, and Lemon (Serves three as a main dish, four as a “primi piatti”)

250 grams penne pasta (amount 8 ounces)

2 Tablespoons good olive oil, divided

200 grams cubed pancetta dolce (about 6 ounces)

90 grams agretti (about 3 ounces), roots and thick stems removed, rinsed well, and rough chopped

Juice of 1/2 lemon (about 2 Tablespoons)

1/8 tsp ground black pepper

1/4 tsp sea salt

1/4 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil - add penne and cook al dente.

Meanwhile, rinse agretti well, remove roots and lower stems, rough chop into strands about 2 inches long. Heat 1 Tablespoon of olive oil in a sauté pan, add pancetta and cook over medium heat until cooked through but not crisp.

Add cleaned and chopped agretti. Cook until softened, stirring from time to time. This shouldn’t take more than about 10 minutes over medium low heat.

Season with salt and pepper.

Drain the penne pasta and return to the pot. Add the lemon juice, 1 Tablespoon olive oil, and the pancetta / agretti mixture and give it a stir. Add the grated Parmesan and toss.

Serve immediately with more grated Parmesan on the side.

This makes a nice, light main dish or a flavorful side with chicken or fish. It pairs well with a crisp white wine. -post by JMB

For more info about agretti:

http://www.twopartsitaly.com/blog/2018/5/1/agretti-a-taste-of-spring-in-italy

Fattoria di Fubbiano - A Winery with Tuscan Views

June 11, 2018 by Joanne Bartram in Tuscany, Lucca, Italy travel, Walking, Italy, Travel, Wine, Cooking

If you close your eyes and picture the perfect Tuscan landscape, what comes to mind will likely look a lot like the area surrounding the Fattoria di Fubbiano. If your picture includes rolling hills, tall cedars, ancient farmsteads, vineyards, olive groves, and a small hill town in the distance, then you have it just right.

The direct translation of the Italian word fattoria is farm - but direct translations don't always capture the essence of a word. A fattoria can be anyplace involved in agriculture - from the classic farm with rows of vegetables and barnyard animals to a terraced hillside where grapes and olives are grown. The Fattoria di Fubbiano is the latter - 130 some acres of vineyards and olive groves tucked into the hills 15 kilometers (9 miles) east of Lucca just below the hilltop town of San Gennaro.

A fattoria has existed in this spot for a long time - the property dates to the late 1600s. Local tax records list an even earlier date for the first cultivation of vines and olive trees here. Ownership of the fattoria has changed hands many times, with the current owners purchasing the antique property in 2002. They have since restored the fattoria buildings and original villa, converted some buildings into guest quarters and tended the gardens and view terraces.

The biggest project was the construction of a new and very modern cantina. This is where the harvested grapes arrive and where the Fubbiano wines are produced and bottled. The original cantina, a beautiful building with arching brick ceilings, now serves as an events space.

Several wines are produced at Fattoria di Fubbiano, including three reds, two whites, and a Vin Santo. All are DOC-certified (which assures place of origin as being from the Lucchese hills, as well as variety of grape and quality). Also produced is a rosé (labeled Schiller, the name of the family that owns the fattoria) and a super Tuscan (labeled I Pampini and a personal favorite). Along with these excellent wines, the grapes are used to produce grappa and a wine vinegar. The wines are well respected locally and internationally. Thirty percent of the produced wines are exported to the United States.

My visit to the Fattoria di Fubbiano was to tour the grounds and winery and then to participate in a cooking class in the old cantina building. The winery tour was informative and interesting (even if it was hard not to be distracted by the amazing views of the surrounding vineyards and hillsides). The cooking class, offered as an afternoon cultural excursion by Lucca Italian School, was a delight. Together we prepared an appetizer of fried zucchini flowers with a filling of ricotta, basil, and pecorino cheese, a handmade-filled pasta (Tordelli Lucchese), a fragrant roasted pork, and a classic local dessert (Zuppa Lucchese).

After the meal prep was complete, our group of about 20 shared an aperitivo of Fubbiano wines and the crisp, melt-in-your-mouth zucchini flowers out on a wisteria-covered terrace overlooking a stunning Tuscan landscape. Sitting on that terrace in the soft light of a spring evening, sipping wine, and talking to the interesting people who come to Lucca to study Italian, was a special kind of wonderful.

Eventually we went back inside to eat the meal we had prepared. We dressed our salads with olive oil and vinegar from the fattoria, and had some of the white and red Fubbiano wines to accompany our dinner. Everyone agreed that all of the work to prepare the meal was well worth the effort, producing a delicious cena (dinner). Cooking classes are always a highlight of my time in Lucca and when combined with the setting of this characteristic Tuscan fattoria, they are especially wonderful. -post by JMB

A cooking class in the old cantina, Fattoria di Fubbiano

Contact information:

Fattoria di Fubbiano 55010 San Gennaro, Lucca, Italy. Website: Fattoria di Fubbiano.it

Lucca Italian School. Via dei Bacchettoni, 25 55100 Lucca, Italy Website: luccaitalianschool.com

Agretti - A Taste of Spring in Italy

May 21, 2018 by Joanne Bartram in Italian markets, Italy travel, Italy, Cooking, Tuscany, food

The springtime markets in Italy are full of wonderful vegetables - asparagus, little purple artichokes, and fava beans, to name a few. I have a strong memory of my first taste of fresh spring fava beans, eaten raw with a little bit of pecorino as I sat on a bench outside a neighborhood market in Rome. Heaven! Big piles of spring artichokes look like art to me, and taste amazing when used as the filling for a light-as-air lasagna. And asparagus in a delicate pasta primavera? Is there a better way to celebrate spring vegetables?

Along with these more common vegetables, the spring markets in Italy also have bunches of what look like thick grass or chives. They are dark green with long, thin tapered leaves and are often wrapped in wet paper to keep the intact roots moist. The appearance of these in the markets is a cause for excitement in Italy. They are only around for a short time in spring and are considered a delicacy. So what are these mysterious grassy bundles?

They go by several names. In Italy they are most commonly known as agretti or barba di frate (frair’s beard). In English, saltwort. The proper Latin name is Salsola soda, a member of the Chenopodiaceae (Amaranth or Goosefoot) family, which includes spinach, beets, and chard.

Agretti grows well in salty water, which means that the Mediterranean coast is the perfect place for it to thrive. It also means that it has become a rather unwelcome and invasive species following its import to coastal California - perhaps because we Americans don’t eat it often enough! And although agretti leaves look like chives or spring onions, they are not related to onions at all and the flavor is completely different.

As an interesting historical note, agretti were originally grown to be burned to ash. The result was soda ash, used in making soap and glass. Imagine how useful this was to the Venetians - why eat a product that could be used to make beautiful Venetian glass? Today, however, there are better ways to make glass and agretti is raised as a food crop.

Agretti can be eaten raw (it’s crunchy and tangy, with a slightly bitter mineral taste). Raw, it’s a good addition to salads. It’s also healthy - high in fiber, low in calories, and a good source of vitamins (A, B, and C) and minerals (sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, and iron).

More commonly, agretti is served cooked, either as a contorni (side vegetable) or incorporated into a frittata or a pasta dish . Can you say spaghetti con agretti five times fast?

There are two basic cooking methods. The most simple is to drop the cleaned agretti briefly into boiling water until crisp tender, and then drain and sprinkle with olive oil and lemon. It can also be sautéed with olive oil and garlic (and perhaps pancetta or anchiovies) and topped with a squeeze of lemon juice. The lemon juice is key to bringing balance to the slightly sharp, spinach taste and bringing out the bright, fresh-as-spring taste of the agretti.

I had seen agretti in the markets on previous trips to Italy, but never knew exactly what they were or how to cook them. After a discussion with friends who recently moved to Lucca and were experimenting with cooking local produce, I bought my first bunch of agretti in one of Italy’s spring markets. After trimming the roots and washing it well (it can be pretty sandy), I sautéed the agretti for about 10 minutes in olive oil along with 2 cloves of garlic. A little salt (it doesn’t need much), several grinds of black pepper, and a generous squeeze of lemon juice later and it was just right as a side dish to a lemony chicken fillet and some rice.

I can’t wait to try it in a frittata next!

-post by JMB

Sautéed agretti alongside pan-sautéed lemon chicken and rice.

A Medieval village surrounds the castle (castello) in Bagnone. — A Medieval village surrounds the castle (*castello*) in Bagnone.

Castelli e Cipolle (Castles and Onions) in Bagnone, Italy

May 14, 2018 by Joanne Bartram in Italy travel, Tuscany, Italy, Italian culture, food

Some of my favorite travel experiences are the result of serendipity - happy accidents that result in the discovery of something wonderful. Though I am by nature a planner, I have learned the joy of leaving some things to chance and grabbing opportunities that arise during the course of travel.

Such an opportunity recently presented itself in the form of an invitation to accompany a fellow language student on a day trip to the small town of Bagnone for its annual spring onion sagra (festival). I knew nothing about Bagnone, or what made its onions worth celebrating, so some research was in order prior to this trip.

Bagnone lies in the province of Massa - Carrara, Tuscany, about 60 minutes from Lucca by car. This area is known as the Lunigiana, a historical designation from before the unification of Italy, crossing the border between Tuscany and Liguria. Importantly, it is home to a large number of Medieval-era castles/fortresses, about 30 of which are intact. Many others are visible as ruins, dotting hillsides and small hamlets throughout the Lunigiana.

Bagnone is charming, with a small branch of the Magra river flowing through the middle of town. There is also a 14th century castle that encloses a still-occupied Medieval village. This is not a town with many tourists. Strolling along its quiet streets (pictured below) was a pleasure, as was wandering through the village surrounding the castle, which lies up a hill above the center of Bagnone.

As for the onions - Bagnone includes an even smaller borgo (neighborhood) just up the hill from Bagnone proper and called Treschietto. A recent local census lists 96 inhabitants, most over the age of 65. Looming over Treschietto is the ruin of a castle, complete with a tall, round tower.

The tower and castle ruin in Treschietto, Bagnone.

Treschietto is famous for a small, round onion (cipolla) that is red on the outside and white on the inside. The Cipolla di Treschietto is mild and sweet. It is said that the onion “non fa lacrimare” (doesn’t make you cry). The onion is grown in fields in and around Treschietto and each year, at the end of April and beginning of May, the community hosts a festival where everyone gathers to eat piatti tipici (local specialty dishes) made with the famous onions. These dishes were a good example of cucina povera, simple foods eaten in rural areas where resources are limited.

Sitting under a large tent, at a communal table, we sampled Barbotta (a soft onion, cornmeal, and cheese torte), torta di cipolle (a crispy onion pie with the white and green parts of the onion and a spinach-like taste), and a pasta with sugo di cipolle (onion sauce).

We also saw many people eating the onions raw, dipped in a little bit of olive oil.

As a bonus, no one at our table spoke English and the meal was accompanied by lively Italian conversation with friendly locals, a spontaneous language lesson and a delightful cultural experience. Serendipity indeed.

-post by JMB

A Little Taste of Italy in Washington, D.C.

April 23, 2018 by Judy Giannnettino in food, US Travel, Italian restaurants

I recently had the unexpected opportunity to eat again in the first restaurant I ever visited in Florence. What made it so surprising was that I wasn’t in Italy.

One of the dining rooms at the Washington, D.C., Acqua al 2

I was more than 4,300 miles away, in Washington, D.C. There for work, the group with which I was dining announced we’d be going to Acqua al 2. Even though more than 15 years had passed since I’d eaten at Acqua al 2 in Florence, I recognized the name immediately, and excitedly went online to find out if the Washington restaurant was related. Indeed it is.

Acqua al 2 first opened in Florence in 1978. It landed in D.C. many years later when one of the restaurant’s partners, originally from Washington, decided to move back home. When he did, he and another individual opened a sibling to the original restaurant in the Eastern Market of the District of Columbia.

Acqua al 2 is about a 20-minute walk from the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C.

The original Acqua al 2 was recommended to me by a friend in Italy when I made my first visit to Florence. The food was delicious (I had risotto) and the restaurant was warm and welcoming, which I greatly appreciated that night because it was a cold, rainy evening in January. The clientele was a mix of tourists and locals.

I didn’t return to Florence for many years and for a reason I can’t explain, I never returned to Acqua al 2 (probably due to the fact there are so many restaurants in Florence to try).

Once I found out we were headed to the D.C. Acqua al 2, I became curious to see if the Washington experience would be as good as the Italy evening. Upon arrival, I was comforted by a similar rustic décor and a menu that mimicked the best in Italy: carpaccio di manza (thin slices of raw beef tenderloin topped with arugula, grape tomatoes and shaved Parmesan); insalata di rucola e pera (arugula, Bosc pear and Parmesan); farfalline alla zucca (bowtie pasta with seasonal squash, garlic and rosemary) are just a few of the offerings that tempted me. I ended up ordering the insalata di rucola e pera and a filetto all’aceto balsamico (filet mignon cooked in a balsamic reduction sauce) and savored every bite.

Sitting at a long table with a large group made the experience feel even more Italian, as family and food play such an important part of Italian culture and restaurants are often filled with entire families eating together.

Plates decorated and signed by patrons adorn a wall at the Washington, D.C., restaurant Acqua al 2.

Acqua al 2 in D.C. (at 212 Seventh St. SE) offers a selection of assaggio, or samplers, which is a great way to experience several delicious dishes. The restaurant also carries on the tradition started at the original Acqua al 2 of adorning some walls with plates signed by patrons. Aside from English being the language spoken, Acqua al 2 in D.C. made me feel like I was back in Italy, among friends, eating dinner, sharing stories and laughing. Next time I’m in Florence, I think I’ll finally have to return to the original!

-post by JG

(top photo and three small photos courtesy Acqua al 2)