Sweet and Sour Agretti or Monk’s Beard, a delightful side dish worth trying. Taste it before the agretti season ends, as they are typically springtime. It’s a quick and easy recipe, perfect even for those less experienced in the kitchen, and it always pleases everyone. Agretti are low in calories, around 45 kcl per 100 grams, making them suitable for those on a diet. Moreover, they are rich in vitamin A, C, magnesium, potassium, calcium, and more, as they are beneficial to our health, being diuretic, depurative, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antidiabetic, and promote intestinal regularity. With that said, I would say eat them to your heart’s content, what do you think?
If you like agretti or have never tried them, check out the following recipes:
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 4 people
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Spring
Ingredients
- 14 oz agretti
- 1 small pear
- 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 0.88 oz red berries/raisins
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- to taste salt
Tools
- 1 Pan
- 1 Saucepan
- 1 Bowl
- 1 Colander
Steps
The first thing to do is to clean the agretti thoroughly. Remove the ends, you don’t need a knife, but perhaps a pair of latex gloves and soak them for a few minutes in cold water. Change the water frequently until they lose all the soil residue and the water is clean. At this point, bring a pot with sufficient water to a boil, plunge them in, and let them cook for 4/5 minutes. Drain them and leave them directly in the colander, waiting to be reused.
Peel the pear with a peeler, remove the core, and slice it thinly. Place them in a small bowl and pour the white wine vinegar over them.
Pour the extra virgin olive oil into a high-sided non-stick pan and toss in the agretti. First, season with salt and add the sugar.
Finally, add the pears with all the white wine vinegar, add the red berries, and cook over medium heat. Let cook for five minutes until the agretti have changed color, becoming darker.
Serve our Sweet and Sour Agretti or Monk’s Beard, hot or at room temperature because they will be delicious anyway.
Advice and Storage
The sweet and sour agretti can be kept in the refrigerator for a few days, thanks to the natural preservatives we added: vinegar, sugar, and salt.
However, I recommend always putting them in an airtight container, preferably glass or ceramic.
Avoid plastic because it’s harmful, as it continuously releases toxic substances.
You can also freeze them, but remember to defrost them slowly in the refrigerator or in the microwave.
You can also freeze them, but remember to defrost them slowly in the refrigerator or in the microwave.
