Spring recipes

Barley with artichokes and prawns

A single course that is easy to prepare, suitable for the season, and good to eat either hot or lukewarm.

Ingredients: Barley 100 g - Artichokes 2 - Prawns 10 - Lemon ½ - White wine - Garlic - Parsley - Salt - Pepper - Extra virgin olive oil.

Procedure: Rinse the barley and cook it in salted water. In a pan with oil, brown the garlic together with the previously cleaned artichokes. Add the shelled prawns, deglaze with white wine and lemon juice, and complete with chopped parsley and lemon zest. When the barley is cooked, drain it and toss the ingredients in the pan. Serve.

Fresh asparagus salad

Fresh asparagus salad is an unusual, fresh, and well-balanced recipe. It can be served with slices of wholemeal bread and a fresh seasonal fruit to complete the meal.

Ingredients: Fresh asparagus 500 g - Fresh spinach 300 g - Cooked chickpeas 150 g - Toasted almonds - Garlic - Lemon - Salt - Pepper - Extra virgin olive oil.

Procedure: Clean the asparagus, cut them into pieces, and brown them in a pan with a drizzle of oil and a garlic clove. Cook for about ten minutes, add the chickpeas and spinach, turn off the heat, and mix. Separately, prepare a dressing with oil, lemon juice and zest, salt, and pepper. Dress the salad, add the toasted almonds and serve.

Wholemeal pasta with agretti, dried tomatoes, and pine nuts

The “Agretti”, also known as “Barba dei Frati” (Friars’ Beard), are typical vegetables of the spring season. This recipe represents an original, tasty, and balanced first course!

Ingredients: Wholemeal pasta 300 g - Agretti 1 bunch - Dried tomatoes to taste - Toasted pine nuts to taste - Garlic - Basil - Parsley - Salt - Extra virgin olive oil.

Procedure: Clean and blanch the agretti in boiling water. Chop and mix the dried tomatoes with garlic, basil, parsley, and extra virgin olive oil. Separately, cook the pasta and, when cooked, toss it in the pan with the agretti, dried tomato pesto, and toasted pine nuts. Serve.

Broad beans and peas with vegetables

A rich and colourful spring side dish! Healthy, simple, fragrant, and quick to prepare.

Ingredients: Fresh peas 200 g - Fresh broad beans 200 g - Artichokes 4 - Carrots 4 - Onion 1 - Vegetable broth - Marjoram - Salt - Pepper - Extra virgin olive oil.

Procedure: Peel the broad beans, blanch them in boiling water for 1 minute, drain and remove the outer skin. Clean and cut the vegetables into pieces. Heat the oil in a pan and brown onion and carrots for a few minutes. Add the sliced artichokes, shelled peas and broad beans. Add the hot vegetable broth and cook it for 15 minutes. Remove the cop, allow the residual broth to evaporate, add the spices and serve.

Lentil and carrot burger

An exclusively vegetable main meal, ideal for reducing meat consumption. It is an alternative and interesting way of preparing legumes, especially for children.

Ingredients: Cooked lentils 400 g – Wholemeal sandwich bread 4 slices - Carrot 1 - Onion 1 - Paprika - Parsley - Sage - Salt - Pepper - Extra virgin olive oil.

Procedure: Finely chop up the onion and carrot, brown them in a pan with a drizzle of oil, add the lentils, and let them season for a few minutes. Blend the bread in a mixer together with the warmed lentils. Add the salt and spices, process the mixture, and form the burgers. Cook them in a pan with oil or in the oven at 180°, until golden brown.