The AGRETTI NESTS WITH EGGS are a versatile and tasty dish, perfect as an appetizer for Easter lunch or even as a light but flavorful main course for lunch or dinner. Its freshness makes it an ideal spring dish, simple yet refined and special, able to satisfy the most demanding guests who appreciate both tradition and innovation.
Agretti, also called “barba di frate” or by many other names in our country, are the shoots of a plant, Soda inermis, very common along the Mediterranean coasts. They have great beneficial properties, being rich in micronutrients and having detoxifying qualities. But it is above all their tasty, savory and slightly tangy flavor, and their crunchiness—which should be preserved with not-too-long cooking—that makes them truly delightful.
The pairing with an egg and a few other ingredients completes the dish, giving you wonderful sensations without any effort.
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- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very inexpensive
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 4 servings
- Cooking methods: Stovetop, Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Winter, Spring
Ingredients
- 4 eggs
- 16 oz agretti (cleaned (or about 21 oz / ~1.3 lb if uncleaned))
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 clove garlic
- 2 oz caciocavallo
- to taste salt
- to taste black pepper
- Half glass water
Tools
- 1 Pan
- 1 Baking sheet
- Parchment paper
Steps
The preparation of AGRETTI NESTS WITH EGGS is very simple and really quick.
Trim the roots, the white and reddish ends, then place the green parts in cold water for 10 minutes, changing the water at least twice. This way the dirt will settle on the bottom of the container.
Drain them and set aside. In a pan place the butter with the garlic clove.
Let it brown over low heat, add the agretti and let them cook over medium heat for 1 minute.
Add the water, salt them, cover with a lid and let them cook for about 10 minutes.
When the liquid has almost completely evaporated, remove the garlic and let them cool slightly.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, take the agretti and form nests with sufficiently high edges.
Place in the center of each nest some caciocavallo grated into strips and lay the egg on top.
Bake the agretti nests with the eggs in a preheated static oven at 374°F for 8-10 minutes at most. Do not cook them longer otherwise the yolk, which should remain runny, will solidify.
Remove from the oven, season the eggs with salt, pepper and more caciocavallo and serve them hot.
