Vignarola Romana: the original recipe with seasonal vegetables. Discover how to prepare this authentic dish from the Lazio tradition with artichokes, fava beans and fresh peas.
Vignarola is not simply a side dish: it is the hymn to spring in Lazio cuisine. This humble dish, born in the vineyards around Rome, contains in a single pan the crisp freshness of Roman artichokes, the sweetness of fava beans and peas, and the tenderness of romaine lettuce.
Preparing it means respecting the rhythm of the land, using only the freshest ingredients that are available at the same time in the garden for a very short period of the year.
Recipes chosen for you:
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very inexpensive
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Cooking time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 4
- Cooking methods: Boiling
- Cuisine: Regional Italian
- Region: Lazio
- Seasonality: Autumn, Winter and Spring
- Energy 209.45 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 18.23 (g) of which sugars 7.93 (g)
- Proteins 7.50 (g)
- Fat 12.40 (g) of which saturated 1.82 (g)of which unsaturated 0.20 (g)
- Fibers 9.42 (g)
- Sodium 449.56 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 200 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
Let’s do the shopping
- 1 1/4 cups fava beans (fresh (about 7 oz / 200 g))
- 4 artichoke hearts
- 1 1/4 cups peas (fresh or frozen (about 7 oz / 200 g))
- 1 romaine lettuce
- 3.5 oz shallot (about 2 medium shallots (about 1/2 cup chopped, 3.5 oz / 100 g))
- 1 chili pepper (fresh)
- 3 tbsp white wine (+ 1 tsp (about 50 ml / 1.7 fl oz))
- 2 2/3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (about 40 ml (approx. 1.35 fl oz))
- to taste salt
- to taste pepper
- 7 tbsp water (about 100 ml (3.4 fl oz))
Vignarola Romana: The Original Recipe with Seasonal Vegetables
Tools
we need
- 1 Knife
- 3 Bowls
- 1 Pan
Steps
Let’s go to the kitchen
First of all, shell the peas and…
and the fava beans; remove the stem from the latter. Peel the shallot.
Wash the romaine lettuce, cut it into strips, and set it aside.
Now take care of the artichokes: remove the outer leaves and extract the artichoke heart. Remove the fuzzy choke and peel the stem, then cut them into quarters. Keep the artichokes soaking in water with lemon until ready to use.
In a pan, pour a drizzle of oil, let it heat and add the chopped shallots and, if you like, the chili rings; let them release their aroma.
Then add the artichokes, stir and let them cook for 3 minutes.
It’s time to add the fava beans; stir and after another 3 minutes add the peas.
Cook for about 4 minutes then add the lettuce.
Increase the heat and deglaze with the white wine.
Let the wine evaporate well, then add the water; cover with a lid and let cook for at least 15 minutes. Before turning off the heat, adjust salt and pepper to taste.
This rustic spring country soup is now ready to be served.
Storage
Vignarola Romana: The Original Recipe with Seasonal Vegetables
If you have a little of this green treasure left (or if you decide to prepare it in advance to let the flavors meld), here’s how to handle it best:
In the refrigerator: Place the vignarola in an airtight container once cooled. It keeps well for 2-3 days. In fact, many claim it tastes even better the next day, because the flavors of the different vegetables have time to fully combine.
How to reheat: To maintain the right texture, reheat slowly in a pan with a spoonful of water or vegetable broth, avoiding the microwave which tends to make vegetables mushy.
A small chef’s tip:
If you want to turn your vignarola into a main course, use it as a sauce for mezze maniche pasta or serve it on a slice of rustic toasted bread rubbed with a little garlic.
If you want to make the dish richer you could:
1) add small cubes of potato first, then proceed with the fava beans and the other vegetables.
2) 5 minutes before the end of cooking you could add eggs and cook them poached in the pan with the lid tightly closed.
Also, this dish goes well with fresh peppered sheep’s cheese (fresh pecorino) and with toasted bread croutons.
3) add small cubes of guanciale (cured pork jowl)
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
Vignarola Romana: The Original Recipe with Seasonal Vegetables
Can I freeze it?
Freezing? It is not recommended. The beauty of this dish lies in the texture of the fresh vegetables; freezing would break their fibers, causing the loss of that characteristic crunch that makes vignarola unique.
Vignarola Romana: The Original Recipe with Seasonal Vegetables
