Agretti (also known as monk’s beard or salsola soda) are a typical spring vegetable, rich in water and minerals, and have a delicate and slightly sour taste. Unfortunately, they have a short season (from March to mid-May), but they are very tasty and versatile in the kitchen: they can be used as a side dish, as a condiment for pasta or risottos, or combined with eggs. In this case, I made a very simple agretti salad, enriched with feta and cherry tomatoes roasted in a pan. A light and quick recipe, excellent both as a main course and a side dish… try it because it’s really full of flavor and color!
Here are some other ideas for you:
- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 2People
- Cooking methods: Stove
- Seasonality: Spring
- Energy 141.35 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 6.75 (g) of which sugars 5.46 (g)
- Proteins 7.64 (g)
- Fat 8.84 (g) of which saturated 4.80 (g)of which unsaturated 1.83 (g)
- Fibers 3.31 (g)
- Sodium 594.13 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 100 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
- 12 oz agretti
- 2.5 oz feta
- 6 cherry tomatoes
- 1 clove garlic (optional)
- extra virgin olive oil
- salt
- pepper
Tools
- Pan
- Cutting board
Preparation
Clean the agretti by removing the roots and the reddish part (1).
Wash them very well under running water to remove any soil residues, then place them in a wide pan with a drizzle of olive oil and a very small amount of water (2).
Add a pinch of salt and cook them until they are tender, just a few minutes will suffice. If desired, you can flavor with a crushed garlic clove.
Once ready, transfer them to a tray, discarding any remaining water in the pan.
Wash the cherry tomatoes and cut them in half. Place them in the same pan and let them brown for a minute or two.
Dry the feta and crumble it with your hands, or cut it into cubes.
Add the cherry tomatoes and feta, and mix them with the agretti, adjusting salt, pepper, and oil if necessary.
The agretti salad with feta and cherry tomatoes is ready to be served… enjoy your meal!
Tips and Notes
If you don’t consume it immediately, store the salad in the refrigerator, in a closed container.
Instead of cooking them in a pan, you can boil the agretti in salted boiling water for about 4-5 minutes.
You can also use raw tomatoes without sautéing them in the pan.
FAQ
What ingredients can I add to the dish?
You can enrich the agretti salad with hard-boiled eggs and Taggiasca olives. You can replace the cherry tomatoes with sun-dried tomatoes in oil.
