Tarts, tartlets, mini savory pies — call them what you like, but these mini quiches with agretti and peppers bring spring to the table.
Ideal as an appetizer or a main course, they are complete in macronutrients. A shortcrust pastry made with type 2 wheat flour filled with agretti (the protagonists today), peppers and 0% fat Greek yogurt.
Today, together with the friends from the “herbs and flowers on the plate” column, we decided to introduce you to agretti.
What are agretti (barba di frate):
Its botanical name is Salsola soda, but in Southern and Central Italy it’s commonly called agretti, while in the North it’s known as barba di frate. These cute little tufts have a slightly bitter, grassy taste and are found at the market in April at the most well-stocked fruit and vegetable stalls.
Properties of agretti:
Agretti are rich in vitamin C, vitamin A, magnesium, potassium and calcium. They are remineralizing and purifying.
How should agretti be cooked?
The simplest way to cook agretti is to blanch them for a few minutes in boiling water, then pass them into ice water or very cold water to preserve their color and serve them simply with oil and lemon.
Meanwhile, here are the mini quiches with agretti and peppers.
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Daniela
See some recipes for serving agretti:
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very inexpensive
- Preparation time: 5 Minutes
- Cooking time: 30 Minutes
- Portions: 8 quiches, 3 1/8 in.
- Cooking methods: Boiling, Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Spring
Ingredients for the shortcrust pastry
- 2 1/2 cups type 2 wheat flour
- 3.4 fl oz white wine (or water)
- 5 1/3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 pinches sea salt
- 1.8 oz agretti (salsola soda)
- 1/3 cup peperonata (stewed peppers)
- 3/4 cup Greek yogurt, 0% fat
- 1 tsp aromatic herbs (e.g., marjoram, rosemary, etc.)
- 2 pinches sea salt
- 1 pinch black pepper
Tools
- 8 Tartlet molds
Steps to prepare the Mini quiches with agretti
In a bowl emulsify the white wine with the oil, then add the flour and salt and mix — you can also use a food processor to save time. You will obtain a soft, smooth dough. Let it rest, covered, for half an hour and then roll it out into a large circle that you will cut into small circles for the mini quiche molds.
Of course you can also prepare a single large savory pie about 9.5 in. (24 cm) if you prefer.
Prepare the peperonata as described here in the recipe and set aside. Wash the agretti well and blanch them for a few minutes. Then pass them under ice water to keep the color — ice and water is better to avoid diluting them too much.
In a bowl mix the peperonata, Greek yogurt, agretti chopped into pieces, aromatic herbs, salt and pepper.
Roll out the dough for the base and cut circles to line the mini quiche molds. Pour the filling inside, then bake for 25 minutes at 356°F.
You can keep the mini quiches with agretti in the refrigerator for a couple of days, well covered. When you take them out of the fridge, warm them in the oven for a few minutes to bring back the crispiness.
Of course you can vary the filling and replace the peperonata with other vegetables depending on the season. If you have leftover agretti, you can prepare a creamy pasta or enjoy them simply with a squeeze of lemon. Instead of 0% yogurt you can use ricotta, or if you prefer tofu or a light vegan béchamel.
You can also cook the savory tartlets in the air fryer at 356°F for 20 minutes.
“Herbs and flowers on the plate” column:
Here are my friends’ recipes:
Miria: Risotto with agretti and tench
Elisa: Cloud egg with agretti
Tiziana: Pizza with agretti and sausage
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