Name: La vignarola (Roman Spring Vegetable Stew)
Yield: Serves 6
Cuisine: Italy
Ingredients: 1 lemon, halved; ½ cup olive oil; 1 cup water; 2 to 3 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley; 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint; Salt and freshly ground black pepper; 6 artichokes; 1 pound small new potatoes, halved or quartered; ¼ pound pancetta, diced; 3 spring onions or 6 to 8 green onions, including tender green tops, chopped; 2 cloves garlic, minced; 2½ pounds English peas in the pod, shelled (about 2½ cups); 1 pound asparagus, tough ends discarded, cut into 2-inch lengths, blanched for 3 minutes, and drained (optional); 4 pounds fava beans in the pod, shelled (about 2½ cups)

Preparation info

Serves
6

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

Italian Slow and Savory

By Joyce Goldstein

Published 2004

About

Said to be what the wife of the wine maker (la vignarola) serves for supper, this classic Roman spring vegetable dish has many different names and interpretations all over Italy.

Some cooks start with minced guanciale or pancetta, and others keep the dish strictly vegetarian. A number of recipes suggest braising the artichokes or peas in a mixture of water and white wine to preserve their color. I find this to be a futile step, however,