Teaching a group of Slow Food Abruzzo Erasmus + students English was a fascinating experience and a privilege in those hazy February days when you are on a countdown to Spring, eager to catch the first viola and daisy peeping out of the grass. I found myself learning just as much from them as they did hopefully from me! With the topic of Spring came vivid conversations about the deep-rooted philosophy behind Abruzzese regional cuisine, allowing each season’s produce to shine without distraction.
When I introduced them to some of the latest Anglo food trends featured in Vogue, they were genuinely perplexed—why complicate what is already perfect? In Italy, food fads rarely take hold because the focus remains on simplicity. Their perspective made me reflect on how here energy is invested in cultivating quality ingredients and refining traditional cooking methods rather than chasing fleeting culinary fashions. Here is a tumble of their delicious homework that they have kindly permitted me to publish, and links to their restaurants where possible!
Spring Dishes in Abruzzo
A typical dish that we make for Easter breakfast is an omelette with wild herbs:
Take some eggs, break them and then mix them with Pecorino cheese and the typical wild herbs that we can find growing wild in the fields locally. In particular, the herbs Pennyroyal, wild hops, but any fresh young herb will do! When found, we put in wild asparagus! La Porta dei Parchi
The food I adore eating in spring the most is called “Vignarola” which reminds me of my childhood.
It is a typical Roman recipe, where you can find all the fresh spring vegetables such as artichokes, peas, lettuce and broad beans and, if you are not vegetarian, I highly recommend you to top it with some “guanciale DOP”, typical Roman cured pork cheek, to enhance the flavour and make it really yummy.
The name is said to come from the word ‘vigna’ to indicate the garden where the vegetables were harvested was under the vines.
When I was young, Vignarola could be prepared only in the right season which runs from late April to the end of May. That was one of the reasons it was so special! Nowadays you can have it almost any day of the year thanks to frozen vegetables, but if you want to taste it at its best, please, forget the frozen stuff, and respect the time of nature. I assure you the taste and the texture will be on a different level! It will be juicy and sweet because of the peas but with the same tanginess from the broad beans, the crunch of the pork cheek with some bitterness of the lettuce and artichokes and the freshness of mint leaves: the mix will make the perfect flavour.
What more can I tell you? You have to try it and believe me.
So, please, be patient and wait until the end of April, then let me know: I hope you will enjoy it as much as I do!!!
On the Menu:
Vignarola – made with fresh spring vegetables: artichokes, peas, lettuce and broad beans –
juicy and sweet because of the peas but with some tanginess from the broad beans and bitterness from the lettuce and artichokes enhanced by the freshness of mint leaves; topped with the crunch of the pork cheek – a perfect mix of flavours
Available as a vegetarian version (no pork)
Wine paring: Frascati superiore – Lazio DOCG
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A symphony of fresh greens, with a lemon vinaigrette
Risotto Verde, an explosion of in-season vegetables
Strawberry tart, a classic spring dessert of the season, adorned with a Chantilly cream
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I will describe one traditional dish of Teramo, Abruzzo, the “virtù teramane”!
This dish is served on the 1st of May, preparation begins a little before.
The tradition is that this dish represents, for the pantry, the end of the cold season and the beginning of the hot one.
The list of ingredients is very long! Dry beans, chickpeas, lentils and fresh vegetables like broad beans, pea and pea shoots, chicory, chard, zucchini, fennel, borage, and artichokes; fresh pasta, pork and a ham bone. In addition to extra virgin olive oil, we have spicy and aromatic herbs too: cloves, pepper, garlic, onion, bay leaves, sage and one typically aromatic herb of Abruzzo, ‘pipirella’ (it’s a type of thyme).
Despite the many ingredients, the flavour and the aromas are distinct. The smells are fantastic! I like the aromas from the fennel, bay leaves, sage, and pipirella so much!
The sweetness of the fresh pasta and legumes, alongside the bitter flavours of the artichokes and asparagus, is fantastic!
To accompany this dish I have a glass of Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo; this wine is a rose vinified with Montepulciano d’Abruzzo grapes. Its colour is cherry red; its aroma is a wonderful mixture, reminiscent of rose, cherry, strawberry, and pomegranate that gives freshness and flavour. It is a great wine!
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I love simple dishes made with very special raw ingredients. And I like the story behind every product.
So, my favourite spring dish is bread with olive oil, pecorino cheese and fresh broad beans.
I like a good slice of fresh bread, made with sourdough and ancient grains. This type of bread has different flavours and perfumes based on the flour used. You’ll be able to taste a bit of sourness from the sourdough and sweetness from the grain which together give an intense aroma to the bread. These flavours mix with the slightly bitter olive oil.
Then we have the salty taste of pecorino cheese and the sweetness of broad beans. If I haven’t broad beans I can use garden peas. You can pair all of this with a good glass of orange-toned wine.
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My dish for the spring is La Vignarola
Ingredients: Broad beans peas, lettuce, artichokes, spring onion, fresh chilli pepper, dry white wine, extra virgin olive oil, salt, bread
Clean all the vegetables.
Blanch all the vegetables individually for a short time.
Put them all in a saucepan, add a little wine to cover them and cook till tender.
The soup is served with a slice of toasted bread
Enjoy your meal! Le Origini Agriristoro
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One of my favourite spring dishes is pasta with fresh vegetables.
I don’t have a written recipe, usually, I use asparagus, globe artichoke, onion and broad beans.Different flavours can be found in this dish notably bitter and salty.
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Tasting Menù: Savoury Strudel and Macerated Trebbiano 2022
Dish: Savoury Strudel with spring seasonal vegetables such as escarole and potatoes (or creamy cheese if you prefer) and a few garden peas or courgettes; crunchy speck and pine nuts or raisins. A mix of flavours and textures that are closed in a golden and fragrant puff pastry which has a good balance between them: sweetness and flavour; crunchy and creaminess.
Wine: Macerated Trebbiano is a rich white wine with complex aromas of raisins, honey, ripe fruits, and candied citrus fruits. You’ll first experience all the rich aromas of the wine with your nose, and then as you taste the wine. You’ll also taste a good saline note and a good acidity.
The richness of all these important characteristics of the wine is both in the nose and the mouth and these aspects are important to balance a pairing with a structured dish as a savoury strudel.
A structured wine for a structured dish: acidity cleans your mouth and enhances sweetness; aromas are both in wine and food. This is a good pairing.
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My favourite dishes in the spring season are:
1) Risotto with green asparagus, this is a typical spring vegetable.
Usually, the taste is sweetish, but if you use wild asparagus it will be a little bitter.
The consistency will be creamy by adding butter and parmesan.
2) Courgette flowers stuffed with anchovies and mozzarella cheese.
The flowers are stuffed and coated in a batter (a mix of flour, sparkling water and eggs) and fried. They’re crunchy and taste a little salty.
I love to eat them! Hotel Antares
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I have an early Spring dish on the menu based on beef stew and celeriac cream soup.
The beef is very tasty and the celeriac cream soup is sweet, this dish is very good.
Another spring recipe is carrot chutney, a typical Indian pickle.
It’s bitter and sweet and sometimes spicy and very good with cheese. Tàbue Ristorante
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My favourite dish in spring is a warm soup
White fresh onions, fresh garlic and globe artichokes, peas and their shoots and broad beans
When the vegetables are cooked, add to a tomato base, I add 1 egg whole per person and cook for 15 minutes and then serve. It Is very good with fresh bread and fresh pepper. Accompanied by a glass of Montepulciano d’Abruzzo wine.
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Pecorino and Broad Bean Pasta – Penne with salty Pecorino Romano Cream, with a sweet and crunchy note that is given by the broad beans.
Grilled squid with asparagus and some drops of lemon to give a little acidity.
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Author: Sam Dunham
Sam is a freelance SEO content creator and IGCSE Geography and English teacher at Istituto Cristo Re in Rome. She also runs the Life In Abruzzo Cultural Association, sharing stories and insights about this captivating region.
Alongside raising a teenager, Sam hosts guests at her family’s traditional home, the Little House of the Firefly in Abruzzo, offering a warm welcome and insider tips on local culture, food, and hidden gems.
