A legend sees the first course rice and peas as the protagonist of the banquets on April 25th. In fact, in many cities of the Veneto, including Venice, Padua and Verona, on the day dedicated to the celebration of Saint Mark, rice and peas continue to be cooked.
In dialect, peas are nothing other than peas, a symbol of luck and fertility and, as we were saying, in this traditional Italian dish, there is a sauté, but there is also a broth made with the pods.
The recipe is not unique, in fact there are those who add bacon or lard or ham, while we preferred to experiment with a completely green version to enhance the flavor of this legume.
A recovery dish, but with a royal twist that you absolutely must try!
Cook the artichoke stems it’s a great way to avoid waste in the kitchen. Often only the hearts of the artichoke are used and therefore today we bring to the table a first course based on artichoke stems, in order to also enhance this part which is often thrown away.
Artichokes: spring treasure
Artichokes are a vegetable whose season runs from March to June. They are rich in proteinsbut also of fibers and are suitable for multiple uses in the kitchen. They are often cooked fried, but also sautéed or stewed. They can accompany second courses or they can become a single dish. They have a shape similar to a flower and are composed of an upper part, also called heart of the artichokeand from the stem. The outer leaves of the artichoke are not edible as is the beard found inside. In many recipes only the heart of the artichoke is used, but the stems can be recovered and consumed after removing the outermost bark which is hard and stringy and therefore not edible.
We used artichoke stems to prepare a really tasty and simple to make pasta based on ricotta and walnuts.
Pasta with artichoke stem pesto, ricotta and walnuts: the recipe
Clean the artichoke stems: cut the outermost part of the stems and then peel them with a potato peeler to remove the hardest and stringy part. Cut them into cubes.
Peel and chop a shallot with a knife. Heat a large pan and brown the shallot with a generous drop of extra virgin olive oil.
Also add the artichoke stems and cook until they are soft. If necessary, add a drizzle of water. Season with salt.
Place the cooked artichokes in the glass of an immersion blender. Add the ricotta and the shelled walnuts. Blend well and then season with salt and pepper.
Boil the pasta in plenty of salted water. Add two ladles of cooking water to the artichoke and ricotta pesto to make it softer and velvety.
You do skip the pasta with the artichoke stem pesto and serve with a few pieces of walnut.
Artichoke stem pesto: other uses in the kitchen
Artichoke stem pesto is an excellent condiment for pasta, but can also be served on hot toasted bread, for an unusual and tasty appetizer. For an extra touch, you can also add fresh chili pepper and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil before serving.
The chocolate egg they cannot be missed at Easter. But once the holidays are over and the sweet tooth is satisfied, what can we do for recycle Easter eggs and remove ourselves from the constant temptation of that leftover chocolate? To prevent all that chocolate from ending up forgotten, in some remote corner of the pantry, all that remains is propose it in many desserts always different to enjoy for breakfast, as a snack or for a special after dinner.
What can you do with chocolate Easter eggs?
Beyond the fact that they are delicious, chocolate eggs are a very precious resource in the field of home pastry making, because they are pure chocolate, excellent for being used in many ways.
Do you want it to last you a really long time, especially in view of the hot season? Break it into pieces, put it in a food bag and then place it in the refrigerator, so it won’t melt and there won’t be the risk of the cocoa butter rising to the surface.
How to recycle Easter eggs
If at least half of the egg is still intact, you can use it for example as a container (to eat) for another dessert: here is the egg filled with amaretti tiramisu, chocolate mousse or grandma’s cake.
Do you want to make a cake with Easter eggs? Try making this simple cake perfect for recycling chocolate. You can also indulge in traditional desserts from other countries such as brownies or sacher or, again, prepare this other cake which also allows you to reuse stale bread. There are also many ideas for classic chocolate recipes, but without eggs, such as mousse.
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