Vignarola: Roman Spring Vegetable Stew
On a recent trip to Italy, I ate VIGNAROLA. I had never heard of this spring vegetable dish before, but I was hooked. I had it in Abruzzo as well as Rome, and it is very popular in osterias, family owned restaurants serving regional cuisine. Artichokes and fava beans at almost every meal, since they were bursting and showy at the markets. Italians eat what is in season. So what exactly is vignarola? It is a Roman vegetable stew, made with carciofi, favas and spring peas. Most use spring onions and wilted lettuce as well. Always pork (guanciale), and a little broth. It is a loooooong process, shelling peas, peeling fava beans, prepping and cooking artichokes......but I did it, like a good Italian mama. It took me about 5 hours to make this delicious stew, using pancetta, because I couldn't find guanciale (pork jowl). Was it worth it? Si. We loved it. I left it on the counter and there was enough for a...
