Dust is collecting on Italicious and I need to blow it off. I have been MIA, no excuses, I am around, but I momentarily lack inspiration. Cookers block, not sure what you would call that, but it is getting me down and we have been eating poorly as a result of it.

This delicious pasta dish was from weeks ago, I was hoping to fill in the hole with a non-pasta dish, since I am not a fan backing one pasta dish after another, but I haven’t made anything new in ages, just old standbys, recipes that I have already posted, or bread and cheese. Snore fest over here. I can’t explain it, or maybe I can, but my drive to see what’s new at the market is lagging. I need to break out the cookbooks for inspiration, and rev myself up or May is going to be a three post month and that is sad.

Fresh peas are still available at the markets, but starting to fade out, we are seeing stone fruits, still not at their peak, but giving me hope for summer. Green beans are popping up, which I love, I can’t wait to see the dark green paesani beans to make pasta with, delicious.

I hope that my sister will visit us at some point around this time of year so we can enjoy these fresh peas together. We have had battles over peas since we were kids, her favorite vegetable and my least favorite, but make them freshly shelled from their pods and I like them too!

Farfalle with Fresh Shelled Peas and Pancetta

• 1/2 pound farfalle
• 1 pound peas for shelling
• 1 shallot
• 4 ounces pancetta or bacon
• 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• a few mint leaves, torn into small pieces
• salt and pepper to taste

Fill a large pot with water for the pasta. Bring to a boil over high heat.

Shell the peas and rinse in cold water.

Heat oil in a wide saucepan over medium-high heat and add the onions, saute until translucent, add the pancetta and cook for a few minutes until it starts to color. Add the peas, salt and pepper to taste and cook for another couple of minutes.

Once the water starts to boil for the pasta add a small handful of salt to the water and bring to a rolling boil. Add the farfalle and cook until al dente.

When the farfalle are perfectly al dente, reserve a cup of the pasta water in case the farfalle dry out when tossing them. Without shaking all of the water out of the colander pour the farfalle into the pan and toss them over the flame with the sauce. This allows for the pasta to cook a little longer in the sauce and to absorb the flavor. Off the heat, sprinkle with fresh mint leaves. Serve immediately.

One Year Ago: Vitello Tonné

Two Years Ago: Stuffed Zucchini, Melanzane in Insalata alla Calabrese & Spinach and Ricotta Quiche with Roasted Tomatoes and Onion Blossoms

Three Years Ago: Pollo all’Arancia & Mt. Pleasant Farmers Market

Four Years Ago: Rigatoni with Sausages and Broccoli Rabe, Ligurian Stuffed Zucchini, Ziti with Asparagus and Flounder, Frittata di Patate & Butternut Squash Soup

Bottarga is an acquired taste. This Sardinian specialty of pressed fish eggs dried in the sun was an exciting discovery for me, even if a bit of a shock to my senses when I first tried it. The first time I had it seemed a little too fishy for me, my husband (boyfriend at the time) made a simple spaghetti with bottarga and breadcrumbs, good, but it lacked balance.

It can be very expensive, though we tend to buy the stuff that is already grated, not as prized, but good nonetheless and considering our limited means when we were first dating and married, it was all we could afford. The good stuff is still in the roe sack, you can either thinly slice it or grate it, the flavors are a bit more subtle than the bottarga that you find in little jars.

Spaghetti con Bottarga

from Ricette di Osterie d’Italia: il pesce. 600 piatti di mare di lago e di fiume Slow Food Editore

• 400 grams of spaghetti
• 100 grams of bottarga
• 1 onion
• 50 grams of carrot
• 40 grams grated zucchini zkins
• 50 grams green apple, cut into thin strips
• a handful of breadcrumbs
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• black pepper

Fill a large pot with water for the pasta. Bring to a boil over high heat.

Chop the onion and the carrot into fine pieces. Heat oil in a large pan over medium-high, add onion, sauté until it is translucent. Add the carrots and the grated zucchini and after a few minutes the bottarga.

Once the water starts to boil for the pasta add a small handful of salt to the water and bring to a rolling boil. Add the spaghetti and cook until al dente.

When the spaghetti are perfectly al dente, reserve a cup of the pasta water in case they dry out when tossing. Without shaking all of the water out of the colander pour the spaghetti into the pan with the apple strips and breadcrumbs, toss them over the flame for about 30 seconds. This allows for the pasta to cook a little longer in the sauce and to absorb the flavor. Serve immediately with a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil and a twist of fresh black pepper.

One Year Ago: Parmigiana di Carciofi, Farfalle with Roasted Fennel and Swordfish & Risi e Bisi

Two Years Ago: Risotto With Beet Greens and Roasted Beets & Green Tomato Summer Pasta

Three Years Ago:  Black-Eyed Peas With Collard Greens & Linguine with Artichokes and Scallops

Four Years Ago: Gemelli with Tuna alla Siciliana, Fish Tacos, Pizza di Collards, Roasted Asparagus with Fried Eggs, Okra Masala Stew over Couscous & Refrigerator Noodle Creation

My brother-in-law has been staying with us frequently during the week, cooking for four is really no different than cooking for three, it is as simple as adding a little more pasta to the water. My problem is that I often am at a loss for what to make. We aren’t a cheese and crackers for dinner kind of family, nor do we have frozen dinner in our tiny freezer, neither homemade or store bought. I also wouldn’t dare feed 2 Italian men cheese and crackers, I would risk a revolt!

La soluzione? Pasta al forno. It is a make ahead meal, I made this one 2 days before we ate it, it feeds a lot of people, sometimes for days, and everyone loves a pasta al forno.

I had almost a liter of milk in my fridge that expired that day, and I really hated the idea of throwing it away, so I decided to make a meal around it. I made a bechamel, used artichokes, which are still falling off of the veggie trucks and used up all of the different packages of tagliatelle and fettucine knots that we had in the pantry. Too few for two, too many for one and not a pasta I use often enough to buy more of. I loaded it all into a casserole and dinner was ready.

Baked Fettucine with Bechamel and Artichokes

• 3 medium sized artichokes, trimmed and cleaned
• 2 tbsps butter
• 3 tbsps flour
• 2 cups heated milk
• salt & pepper to taste
• pinch of nutmeg
• 1 cup of chopped ham (I miss salty American ham for this type of thing)
• 1 lb fettucine or tagliatelle
• 3/4 cup of grated parmigiano reggiano, divided

artichokes:

Prepare a bowl with cold water and lemon juice.

Clean the artichokes by eliminating their outer leaves; you can do this by bending them and snapping them off. Do this until you get to the leaves that are lighter in color.  Cut off the tip of the central cone, to eliminate the tougher green end of the leaves. Cut the heart in half and scoop out the inside chokes with a knife or a small spoon. Cut the heart of the artichoke into thin slices and immerse in the lemon water. You can do this a few hours ahead of time.

Heat oil in a wide saucepan over medium-high heat and add the onion. When the onion starts to sizzle add the slices of artichokes. Sauté artichokes over high heat for a few minutes and add cup of water. Lower heat to a medium flame and cover pan. Stir occasionally. Sauté artichokes for at least 20 minutes, or until they are soft, if the artichokes start to dry out, add water to the pan.

bechamel:

Melt butter in a saucepan over low heat. Add flour and stir. Heat milk in a separate saucepan over low to medium heat. While constantly whisking, gradually add hot milk to the roux. Simmer mixture while continuing to whisk. Sauce will thicken in a few minutes, add more milk if it becomes too thick you want it to stay really creamy. Add 1/2 cup parmigiano when it is off the heat and whisk.

pasta:

In the meantime fill a large pot with water for the pasta. Bring to a boil over high heat. Once the water starts to boil for the pasta add a small handful of salt to the water and bring to a rolling boil. Add the pasta and cook until it is super al dente, I usually subtract 2 minutes from the cooking time on pasta over here, in the States I would subtract 3.

Drain the pasta and toss with the bechamel, the artichokes and the ham. Pour into a greased baking dish and spread evenly. Sprinkle the remaining parmigiano on top of the pasta.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place the pasta in the middle of the oven and bake, covered with aluminum foil for 30 minutes. Raise the heat to 400°F and remove the aluminum foil, bake for another 15 minutes or until it is browned and there are crispy spots.

Allow to cool for a few minutes before serving.

One Year Ago: Agretti

Two Years Ago: Zucchini Flower Pizza

Three Years Ago: Ragù with Fresh Egg Fetuccini

Four Years Ago: Baked Fish in Salsa di Agrumi

Octopus was a late discovery for me as a food and fish lover. The thought of it before trying it was pretty negative, I imagined that the texture would be unbearable and that it would be chewy and hard to eat. It can be, but not if prepared correctly and hardly ever here in Puglia. It has recently become one of my favorite sea animals to prepare. A good plan ahead food, leaving it in the freezer for a few days to burst their little nerves and become more tender, plus there are so many delicious ways to make it. My introduction to octopus was as a salad and it remains one of my favorite ways to eat it. This is a very simple and classic way to prepare it as a salad, with lemon, oil, garlic and parsley. Delicious.

Insalata di Polipo

translated from Giallo Zafferano

• 1 800 gram octopus, cleaned
• 1 rib of celery
• 2 cloves of garlic, separated, pressed and left whole
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 carrot
• 2 cloves
• 1 generous sprig of parsley
• juice of ½ a lemon
• 4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste

Heat a pot of water on the stove with the carrot and the celery, left whole, bay leaf, salt and the cloves. Bring to a boil.

Once the water is almost at a boil, hold the octopus by the head and submerge it into the water, dunking it three or four times until the tentacles start to curl up and become softer.  Completely submerge the octopus into the water, lower the heat to a minimum and cover. Cook for about 30 to 35 minutes (about 20 minutes for every 500 grams/ 1 pound). When it is cooked, using tongs, remove the octopus from the water and place it on a cutting board. Cut into 1/2 inch pieces.

Place the pieces in a bowl and dress with extra-virgin olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, garlic and minced parsley. Serve with lemon wedges.

Two Years Ago: Lamb Shanks with Oranges and Olives

Four Years Ago: Mediterranean Beet and Yogurt Salad, Marion Square Farmers Market, Charleston, SC & Collard Greens alla Italiana

Fresh fava beans are a special treat, they are, like fresh peas and artichokes a true sign of spring. They are falling off of the vegetable trucks here, in a huge piles ready for the grabbing. I have never done much with fava beans in the past, they weren’t so readily available in the markets in Rome, but in Puglia everything seems to grow with more vigor.

Fava beans have been at the tables in this part of the world since before the Greeks and the Romans. In Puglia they are eaten all year long, dried for soups and the famous purea di fave con cicoria which is the ultimate comfort food. I found this beautiful recipe in Cucina Italiana and with the abundance of artichokes and favas in the markets, I loved the idea of this elaborate frittata.

Torta di carciofi e fave alla menta

translated and adapted from La Cucina Italiana

• 200g (7 oz) shelled fava beans
• 100g (1/2 cup) milk
• 8 eggs
• 4 artichokes
• lemon
• parsley
• fresh mint
• garlic
• 2 tbsp grated grana padana cheese
• 1 cup dry white wine
• extra-virgin olive oil
• salt and pepper

Blanch the favas for 1 minute in boiling water, peel each bean when they have cooled enough to not burn your fingers.

Clean the artichokes by eliminating their outer leaves; you can do this by bending them and snapping them off. Do this until you get to the leaves that are lighter in color.  Cut off the tip of the central cone, to eliminate the tougher green end of the leaves. Cut the heart in half and scoop out the inside chokes with a knife or a small spoon. Cut the heart of the artichoke into thin slices and immerse in the lemon water. You can do this a few hours ahead of time.

Heat oil in a deep skillet or a wide saucepan over medium heat and add the clove of garlic. When the garlic starts to sizzle, add the artichoke slices, stir to absorb the oil and then add the white wine and a few sprigs of parsley. Cover and simmer for about 10 minutes. Add the fava beans and salt to taste and cook for an additional 5 to 6 minutes.

Mix the eggs with the milk, the grana padana, salt, pepper and a few minced leaves of fresh mint. Add the artichokes and the fava beans, after eliminating the garlic and the parsley.

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).

The original recipe is for a frittata, without a crust, but I decided to make this a quiche and used a store bought puff pastry crust. Pour the mix into a greased mold or into a puff pastry in a pie pan. Place in the center of the oven for about 35 minutes. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Two Years Ago: Flounder Fillets in White Wine & Lasagna, Southern Style

Four Years Ago: Red Beans and Rice, Ziti with Artichokes and Swordfish, Black Bean Enchiladas with Green Sauce & Spaghetti all’Amatriciana

We are still seeing a lot of mushrooms in the markets these days, it hasn’t rained much this past week, but we are coming out of a pretty wet, cold and nasty winter over here. Since spring is in full bloom, the thought of a heavy mushroom dish doesn’t excite, but mushrooms are always delicious, so I looked to do something a bit lighter.

The thought of pairing mushrooms and fish has always left me a little perplexed, until recently when I have had the two together in restaurants and been pleasantly surprised by the results. I decided to give it a go in my own kitchen with clams and cardoncelli mushrooms in a risotto. The two were nice together, but both needed a little flavor boost. I used fish broth and added a little fish that was leftover from my daughter’s dinner, but it was still lacking. An anchovy melted into the butter may have done the trick.

Risotto ai Cardoncelli e le Vongole

• 1 cup of carnaroli or Arborio rice (Italians measure rice by demitasse cups, 1 cup for each person and one for the pot)
• ½ an onion, chopped finely
• 1 lb cardoncelli mushrooms, cleaned and thinly sliced
• 5 cups fish broth
• 200 grams clams in shells
• leftover cooked fish (optional)
• 1 cup of dry white wine
• 2 tbsp butter
• a few sprigs of flat-leaf parsley
• salt to taste

Heat a wide saucepan over medium-high heat and add the clams, close tightly with the lid of the pan. Toss them for a few minutes until they have all opened. Once they have opened, turn off the heat and remove the clams from their shells into a separate bowl, being careful not to burn your little fingers. Filter the broth that the clams created into a separate bowl.

Chop the onion into fine pieces and bring the broth to a simmer. Heat a large stovetop casserole pan over medium-high heat and melt 1 tbsp of the butter at the bottom of the pan. When the butter is melted add onion and sauté until the onion is translucent. Add rice and coat it in the butter, toasting it a bit. When the rice becomes opaque, after about 1 minute, add the wine to the pan, enough to cover the rice, stir frequently.

When the rice has absorbed the wine, add a ladleful of broth to the pan and continue stirring. Repeat and once the rice starts to absorb the broth add all of the mushrooms. Continue adding the broth as the rice absorbs it, you want it to almost dry out before adding the broth each time.

When the rice is finished it should be al dente and all of the liquid should be absorbed. Remove from heat and toss in the clams and the chopped parsley. Serve immediately.

One Year Ago: strascinati con carciofi e panna & Fried Artichokes

Three Years Ago: Asparagus and Ham Risotto with a Fried Egg

Four Years Ago: Roasted Chicken with Pomegranate Sauce, Spinach and Sausage Lasagna, Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Penne with Zucchini, Roasted Tomatoes and Pistachios & Quinoa Salad with Chickpeas, Lemon, Celery and Carrots

We are back in that short window of time when fresh peas are in season and after my pleasant encounter with them last year I have bought them twice now to make with pasta. This first one I made with calamari, loving the asparagus pasta that I had made a few days before with little cuttlefish. I thought that the pairing would be comparable and was right. They were delicious together. I got my daughter involved in popping all of the peas out of their pods and since peas are so naturally sweet, she enjoyed the pasta as much as we did, enjoying the fact that she had been part of the cooking process.

Linguini with Fresh Shelled Peas and Calamari

• 1/2 pound linguini
• 1 pound peas for shelling
• 1 clove of garlic
• 6 small calamari, cleaned
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• a few mint leaves, torn into small pieces
• salt and pepper to taste

Fill a large pot with water for the pasta. Bring to a boil over high heat.

Shell the peas and clean the calamari, cutting them into little rings.

Heat oil in a wide saucepan over medium-high heat and add the garlic and the calamari and cook for a few minutes. Add the peas, salt and pepper to taste and cook for another couple of minutes.

Once the water starts to boil for the pasta add a small handful of salt to the water and bring to a rolling boil. Add the linguini and cook until al dente.

When the linguini are perfectly al dente, reserve a cup of the pasta water in case the linguini dries out when tossing it. Without shaking all of the water out of the colander pour the linguini into the pan and toss it over the flame with the sauce. This allows for the pasta to cook a little longer in the sauce and to absorb the flavor. Off the heat, sprinkle with fresh mint leaves. Serve immediately.

One Year Ago: Pasqua Napoletana

Two Years Ago: Ziti with Grilled Sausages and Ricotta

Three Years Ago: Spaghetti alle Sarde con Erbette

Four Years Ago: Carciofi alla Romana

Cime di Rape is the king of the vegetable kingdom in Puglia, the signature dish for the region is orecchiette alle cime di rape and it is difficult to find a restaurant that does not serve it and a hard dish to fail. I make this dish often, it is a family favorite and even if my daughter is starting to turn her nose up at vegetables, this is one of her favorites. She will often order “green orecchiette” when we go out to eat, filling the waiters with pride that this little angel would order such a grown up dish.

Cime di Rape are also great as a side dish and I was happy to find this recipe in my Slow Food cookbook for Puglia, a little different than what I usually do and they almost tasted pickled with the white wine. Delicious. I’m sorry that their season is almost over, I could eat them everyday.

Cime di Rape Affogate al Vino

translated from Ricette di osterie della Puglia. Mare, erbe e fornelli Slow Food Editor

• 2 kilos (4pounds) of cleaned cime di rape (broccoli rabe)
• 10 winter tomatoes
• 1 clove of garlic
• 50 grams (2 oz.) pancetta cut into small pieces
• 2 cups of dry white wine
• 50 grams (2 oz.) extra-virgin olive oil
• salt, pepper and hot pepper to taste

Heat a large stovetop casserole pan over medium-high heat and add olive oil, garlic and the pancetta. When the garlic starts to sizzle and the pancetta starts to brown add the cime di rape and one cup of white wine, cover and cook for about 15 minutes.

Add the other cup of white wine, the hot pepper, pepper and the tomatoes, salt and cover to complete the cooking for another 15 minutes.

Serve hot as a side dish.

One Year Ago: Carciofi Carciofi Carciofi

Two Years Ago: Wahoo with Citrus and Pistachios

Four Years Ago: Macaroni and Cheese, Gemelli with Asparagus and Roasted Tomatoes, Insalata di Farro with Beets and Feta Cheese & Apricot, Fig and Pistachio Haroseth

We don’t throw anything away around here, if fact we sometimes make certain recipes with the intention of transforming them into another meal. This was the case with our “Passover” brasato. We have made handmade pasta for Easter lunch in the past, and since we have spent several Easters within the small nucleus of our family, I like the idea of it becoming something of a tradition. I’ve done the lamb, which is a tradition for most, but I am not crazy about the lamb here, it is a bit beasty, as my husband likes to say. I suspect that this is due to the fact the they aren’t selling lambs, but young sheep, two very distinct flavors, plus the thought of eating babies makes me sad, poor guys.

The pasta tradition could become a fun one as my little lady gets older. She likes helping mama in the kitchen and I love having her by my side. She was a big help kneading the dough, liked putting her little apron on, standing on a chair and getting her little paws dirty. When we tried to get her on the pasta rolling machine we eventually had to banish her to the TV room, we started having pasta disasters. Next time we will try with orecchiette, using only our hands, and no machines.

When she saw me first kneading the dough she said “oh! like zia Rosalba!” her teacher. I loved that she made the association of making food with your hands with school. I recently received pictures from her school of all of the kids making little pizzas. These pictures filled me with delight, what a great way to keep 2 and 3 year olds busy and to teach them about food. My mother-in-law does the same thing with my niece and nephew, if they are at her house for an afternoon, she keeps them busy with dough, making pizzette together, so much better than cartoons.

We have made these bad boys before, but I decided to add steamed artichoke hearts to them for a more delicate flavor. Artichokes are abundant at this time of year, every veggie truck is selling them for 2 or 3 euros for a “mazza” of 2o artichokes. I love artichokes and they were perfect with the brasato, adding a touch of spring to winter.

Pansotti al brasato e carciofi

Mario Batali’s Basic Pasta Dough from from Mario Batali’s Molto Italiano

• 2 slices of leftover brasato, shredded
• 2 steamed artichoke heart, pureed
• 1 tbsp chopped parsley
• 3½ cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for kneading
• 5 large eggs
• water for sealing the pasta
• leftover braising liquid from the brasato for dressing the pasta
• grated parmigiano reggiano

For the pasta: Mound the flour in the center of a large wooden board. Make a well in the center of the flour and add the eggs.

Using a fork, beat the eggs together and then begin to incorporate the flour, starting with the inner rim of the well. As you expand the well, keep pushing the flour up to retain the well shape (do not worry if it looks messy). When half of the flour is incorporated, the dough will begin to come together. Start kneading the dough, using primarily the palms of your hands. Once the dough is a cohesive mass, set the dough aside and scrape up and discard any dried bits of dough.

Lightly flour the board and continue kneading for 10 minutes, dusting the board with additional flour as necessary. the dough should be elastic and a little sticky. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and allow to rest for 30 minutes at room temperature before using.

When you unwrap the dough it will have softened – that is what you want, so do not be tempted to knead it into tension before rolling it out.

Cut the dough into 4 pieces, and wrap 3 of them again in plastic or just cover with a slightly damp kitchen towel. Flatten the piece of dough in a burger shape that is somewhat thicker in the middle and about ¼ inch thick at the edges. Set the rollers of the pasta machine to the widest setting. Dust the rollers with a bit of flour to be sure they are completely dry, and make sure there aren’t any bits of dried dough from last time. Using one hand, crank the handle to start the rollers, and feed the dough in with your other hand. As the flattened piece of dough emerges, catch it gently with a flat palm so as not to tear it. Fold the dough into thirds, flatten it slightly with your palms, and roll it out again. Repeat this process 5 times, then set the rollers to the next-thinnest setting and repeat the folding and process 6 times. At the third setting, repeat the process only 3 times, since the dough will be becoming more delicate. If the pasta sheet becomes too long to work with easily, cut it into 2 pieces and continue. As you work, dust the pasta sheet with a tiny pinch of flour only if it seems to be sticking – too much flour will dry out the dough. Roll the dough out through the progressively thinner settings, without folding it again, until you have reached the right thickness for your pasta. I have made the mistake of rolling it out too thin for a filled pasta and the pasta broke the moment it hit the water, we stopped at the 4 gauge on our machine. Do not pull the sheets of pasta out of the machine; rather, support each one lightly underneath as it emerges from the machine.

For the filling: Shred the leftover brasato with a knife and fork. Clean your steamed artichoke hearts and puree them with a food processor or by pressing them with a fork. Mix together in a bowl with the parsley until it is a consistent mix.

Assembling the pasta: I created the shape of the pasta with a biscuit cutter, creating lovely little half moons. This is a simple way to make them if you don’t have many gadgets. In each circle place about 1 tsp of the braised meat in the middle, dip your finger in water and brush on the edge of the form. Fold the dough in half and seal together by pinching the two sides together with your fingers. Lay them spaced apart, in a single layer on a floured tray. Repeat the entire process with the remaining dough.

Cook the pansotti right away, or refrigerate for a few hours, on the tray, sealed with plastic wrap. For longer storage, freeze them solid on the tray, then pack in freezer bags.

Fill a big pot with at least 6 quarts of water, 1 tbsp salt, and bring to a boil. Heat the leftover braising liquid in the meantime.

Cook only two dozen pansotti at a time. When the water is at a rolling boil, shake the excess flour from the pansotti and drop them into the pot. Stir well, and return to a boil rapidly. The pansotti will drop to the bottom, then rise to the surface; keep moving and stirring them so they cook evenly and don’t stick. Cook for about 3 or 4 minutes, and check to see if they are done, biting into the thickest edge of the dough.

When they are fully cooked, lift the pansotti with a spider, drain briefly, and spill them into the braising liquid, gently stirring and tumbling until they are well coated. Serve immediately.

One Year Ago: Puntarelle Pugliesi

Three Years Ago: Pastiera

Four Years Ago: Southern Cheese Biscuits

Speaking of asparagus, wild asparagus is popping up everywhere and though I wasn’t sure what to do with it when I first found it, my veggie guy suggested a spaghettata, which is enticing just in the name. Taking his suggestion, I perused my Italian cookbooks and found this wonderful recipe for spaghetti with wild asparagus and seppioline. I can usually count on my Slow Food Puglia cookbook to make a good suggestion for all of the obscure local vegetables that I find at this time of year.  I think that this recipe would work with any thin asparagus and calamari or even clams, the flavors balancing each other out beautifully.

Spaghetti con Seppie e Asparagelle

translated from Ricette di osterie della Puglia. Mare, erbe e fornelli Slow Food Editor

• 320g (scant pound) spaghetti
• 300g (1/2 pound) early spring asparagus or wild asparagus
• 2 mature tomatoes (remove skins and seeds, easy to do by blanching in boiling water and transferring to an ice bowl), cut into slivers
• 1 clove of garlic
• 4 small seppie (cuttlefish), cleaned
• 60g extra-virgin olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste

Fill a large pot with water for the pasta. Bring to a boil over high heat.

Clean the seppie and cut them into strips. Clean the asparagus, snapping off the woody ends and snap them into 1-inch pieces.

Heat oil in a wide saucepan over medium-high heat and add the garlic and the seppie and cook for a few minutes. Add the asparagus and the tomato, salt and pepper to taste and cook for another couple of minutes.

Once the water starts to boil for the pasta add a small handful of salt to the water and bring to a rolling boil. Add the spaghetti and cook until al dente.

When the spaghetti is perfectly al dente, reserve a cup of the pasta water in case the spaghetti dries out when tossing it. Without shaking all of the water out of the colander pour the spaghetti into the pan and toss it over the flame with the sauce. This allows for the pasta to cook a little longer in the sauce and to absorb the flavor. Serve immediately.

Four Years Ago: Cornbread Dressing & Collard Greens