Agretti with tomatoes in a pan is a spring side dish not to be missed. A quick and easy, economical, and delicious recipe I would add after trying them. I must admit that I have always known Lemon Agretti and indeed you can find the recipe on the blog: HOW TO COOK AGRETTI but I had never seen or tried them with tomatoes. Then I saw the recipe from Cucina Serena on her Instagram profile and bam, curiosity had already taken over me.
I have always been a serial agretti eater, I love them, I’m crazy about monk’s beard or monk’s grass, even though my grandmother calls them agrescoli. Anyway, we understand each other, whatever we call them, they are always the same, these tufts of grass that become super tasty when seasoned with oil and lemon. And then? And then is it over? Eh no, here comes Serena from Rome who didn’t want to eat them as a little girl, so her mom, some Italian moms are clever, boiled the agretti and then sautéed them in a pan with tomatoes. She suggests using cherry tomatoes on her blog, I used a chunky tomato pulp that I always keep in the pantry. I eliminated the basil because it’s still wilting on the balcony and replaced it with oregano. Anyway, she gave me the idea for a new side dish unknown to me and I must say a huge thanks to her because I made them all disappear!!! Congratulations again, Serena, we already talked but I had to tell everyone about your recipe!!!
Before leaving you with the Recipe for Agretti in a Tomato Pan I remind you that in the blog Le Ricette di Bea you will also find other typically spring side dishes, that is from March to mid-May or so, like the green beans that I presented in two versions. Then you will find the beans with tomato which are irresistible for dipping, and then a second course of chicken thighs with olives and yellow and red cherry tomatoes, the recipe you liked so much just after it was published.
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very cheap
- Preparation time: 5 Minutes
- Portions: 2
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Spring
- Energy 82.08 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 9.83 (g) of which sugars 5.65 (g)
- Proteins 5.27 (g)
- Fat 1.67 (g) of which saturated 0.18 (g)of which unsaturated 0.13 (g)
- Fibers 6.79 (g)
- Sodium 201.62 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 9 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 for Agretti with Tomatoes in a Pan
- 1.1 lbs agretti
- 3.5 oz tomato pulp (chunky in my case)
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 pinch black pepper
- 1 pinch dried oregano (fresh is also fine if you have it)
- 1 tbsp lemon juice (to boil the agretti)
- to taste extra virgin olive oil
Keep in mind that you will also need some water to boil the agretti with a pinch of salt.
What to substitute from the ingredient list: if you want to prepare the agretti with tomatoes as Serena did, you should use cherry tomatoes and replace oregano with basil. They will always be delicious and perfect for dipping with bread!!!
If you already have pre-cooked agretti, you’re halfway through the recipe, so continue from the point where we prepare the tomato in the pan.
Tools to Prepare Agretti with Tomato Spring Side Dish Recipe
- 1 Cutting board
- 1 Knife
- 1 Pan
- 1 Pot
- 1 Wooden spoon
- 1 Colander
Steps for Agretti in Tomato Pan Recipe
If you’re wondering: how to clean Agretti? You’ve come to the right place! Until a few years ago, I was asking myself the same question, then I went to Grandma Sandra’s house and realized it was easy, quick, and mostly just a matter of washing them well. So, we take the monk’s beard or the monk’s grass or the agrescoli, or whatever you want to call them, and place them on a wooden cutting board.
With a knife, we cut and remove all the white parts of the roots, a bit like when we cut asparagus. In this way, we are removing what is not edible. Then, we pass everything through a colander and wash and wash and then wash again under the tap water.
Grandma also keeps them soaking in a bowl with a pinch of baking soda, which is never harmful. Then, rinse everything well, and finally, we are ready to boil the agretti. Classic boiling in a pot of water with a pinch of salt and a generous tablespoon of lemon juice, this always goes, it removes, in my opinion, that earthy sensation from the agretti. Then down to boil for a couple of minutes.
Cooking time “by eye” when the agretti become soft so that with a fork we can roll them like spaghetti, they must remain a bright green. Drain and pass the monks’ mustard (another name for agretti) under cold water. You can also opt for the ice bowl if you have it. I cool them with water, I don’t have ice in the freezer. Then leave the agretti in the sink.
Let’s prepare the tomato sauce. Now, some will sauté with onion, others like me, who are on a diet, will proceed directly to the second step. So, we take a non-stick pan, pour a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, and add the quantity of tomato pulp in my case with whole chunks. This type of tomato pulp is a must-have in my house, if I make sauce, I always and only use this tomato with whole chunks, I like them too much. So once the tomato is added, we let the flame go on medium-low so that the pulp can thicken, then sprinkle with a pinch of salt, pepper, and a generous handful of oregano. If you have fresh oregano, otherwise the dried one. Of course, you can use fresh basil if you like it better. Serena and her mom, in fact, add basil.
Once the sauce is ready, which will not take more than 10 minutes, we can pass the agretti through the tomato to sauté them in a pan. So with the medium-high flame, sauté the agretti, you know when you toss pasta in a pan with sauce and mix and mix, just the same. Then we take a serving dish and transfer the agretti with tomato. We are then ready to serve this tasty side dish, hot and have you prepared the bread? Oh my, you should try it with my multigrain bread, amazing! If you want the recipe for multigrain bread with buckwheat you can find it here on my blog of course!
I just have to remind you that I wait for you every morning in the Facebook group and fan page of Le Ricette di Bea with the Easy, Quick, and Delicious Recipe of the Day like this one. Have a good meal!!!
Storing Agretti with Tomato
cooked in a pan
You can store agretti with tomato in a bowl with a lid for the refrigerator or freezer. However, first, let them cool completely to room temperature, then put them away. If you freeze them, remember to take them out of the freezer in time, never defrost things directly in the pan or by placing them under the tap water, it creates a thermal shock for the food that is never good.
