The shift from winter to spring always seems to happen very fast here in Italy. One day we’re wrapped up in heavy jackets and scarves, then the next we’re sitting outside in the spring sunshine taking off our layers. The same shift happens at the market, with new fruits and vegetables suddenly on display that reflect the new, brighter season. Here are our favourite Italian spring dishes that make the most of the warmer weather.
What’s in Season in the Spring?
When it comes to Italian spring cooking, there are lots of beautiful fresh ingredients coming into season this time of year.
In March we still have the end of the winter crops like cabbage, cauliflower, leeks and apples, but if we’re lucky, we also get one of our favorite spring treats, strawberries. The best ones at this time of year come from Basilicata, sweet and flavorful.
At the end of March and into April you’ll start seeing fresh peas, asparagus, fava beans and fennel. April is also when artichokes are at their best, so we start making dishes like pasta primavera which use the freshest spring produce.
In May we get to add new potatoes and cherries to the spring line-up, which along with all the other spring vegetables makes for some truly delicious mealtimes!
Vignarola
First up our list of the best Italian spring dishes is a Roman classic. Vignarola is a dish you will only find for a specific window of time, when the key ingredients of mammole artichokes, fresh peas and broad beans (also called fava beans here) are in season.
These are cooked with plenty of olive oil to create a vegetable stew, which is either served on its own or as a pasta sauce. Both ways are delicious, and as every Roman has their own version it’s always a little different each time. Some people add a touch of chili pepper, white wine, mentuccia (a Roman mint herb) or lemon juice and sometimes a little pancetta or guanciale is used to create a stronger flavor.
As spring recipes go, this is exactly what we look for. Vignarola makes the most of the spring vegetables, letting the delicate flavor of the peas, broad beans and artichokes shine. We love it when vignarola appears on menus around Rome as it is a sign that warmer days are almost here, and always make the most of the few weeks when it is available.
Risi e Bisi
Next up we’re heading to Northern Italy for a Veneto classic dish; risi e bisi, which means “rice and peas” in the Veneto dialect. Both ingredients grow very well in this part of Italy, making them ideal combinations for spring recipes. While rice and peas sounds simple, there is something we particularly love about the comfort of this dish. In Veneto spring takes a little longer to arrive than in the south, so you still want something warm and hearty to eat, especially in March.
Historically risi e bisi was a special way for Venetians to celebrate spring starting, and was the central dish of the large banquet held to honor the city’s patron saint, St Mark, on April 25 each year. Historians also think that the Venetians took inspiration from much older Byzantine traditions, as they also mixed rice with spring vegetables in this way.
Peas are the star of the show with this dish, as the broth that the rice is cooked in is made from the pea pods to maximize the flavor. The rice and shelled peas are cooked in this broth, resulting in a thick soup- this is not a risotto, more a thick rice stew. You can use Carnaroli or Arborio rice if you make risi e bisi at home, but if you can find Vialone Nano rice from the Verona area, this is what is traditionally used.
Piemontese Asparagus
We’re staying in the north of Italy, moving across to the western region of Piemonte. The region has long had close connections with France and a lot of the local cuisine takes influences from French cooking, so Piemontese cuisine can seem quite different from other Italian food.
In April and May you can enjoy all things asparagus. The region of Monferrato produces lots of incredible things, home to Asti and its wonderful wines as well as some of the best Italian truffles, but in the spring the focus is the local asparagus crop.
Grown in both white and green varieties, asparagus is used here in all sorts of ways. One of our favorite ways is Asparagi alla Monferrina. In this dish lightly steamed asparagus is served with hard-boiled eggs, butter and Parmigiano Reggiano, where the richness of the toppings contrasts perfectly with the earthy, grassy asparagus flavor.
Another excellent way to taste these special asparagus is in a version of the classic Italian dish; Carbonara Monferrina, which is much richer than the Roman original. After the pancetta and asparagus has been pan fried and the pasta cooked, you mix a little cream with a local soft cheese called Toma, eggs and a little Parmesan, then combine everything together in the pan.
Frittedda
We couldn’t talk about spring recipes in Italy without looking at Sicily. The spring vegetables on a Sicilian dinner table look a little different, where you’ll see fresh peas and fava beans alongside early zucchini and eggplant, fennel and salad leaves. There are also still plenty of winter citrus fruits around as well as strawberries, Sicilian avocados and early cherries. Even in Sicily the spring is a little too soon to find cherry tomatoes, but they’re not far away.
One of the reasons we love traveling to Sicily this time of year is Frittedda, one of our most enjoyed Italian spring dishes. Coming from the city of Palermo, frittedda is traditionally prepared for St Joseph’s Day on March 19 (also Father’s Day in Italy) but is common through the spring season. At first glance the recipe seems similar to the Roman vignarola, but there are a few key differences that make frittedda a completely different dish.
The key ingredients are the same; fresh peas, artichokes and fava beans, but the addition of fennel fronds and spring onions straight away changes the flavor. The other major difference is that once the vegetables are cooked, sugar and vinegar are added which gives the final dish a sweet and sour taste. This extra step really makes the ingredients pop!
L’Abbacchio a Scottadito
We are returning to Rome to complete this collection of our favorite Italian spring dishes, with a seasonal classic. Abbacchio a scottadito is a type of grilled lamb cutlets, which originated in the Lazio countryside but has become a go-to dish in Rome too – particularly around Easter.
These lamb chops are popular on the Easter table as well as cold the next day for the Pasquetta picnic on Easter Monday, but you will see them on Roman menus through the spring too. The very best version is cooked outdoors on a barbecue grill but if you don’t have access to one, get your pan as hot as possible so you can cook them fast. This stops them drying out.
The lamb pieces are marinated in olive oil, rosemary and garlic before grilling which is the perfect way to bring out the tender lamb flavor, and you are supposed to eat them with your hands while piping hot. “A scottadito” means “hot enough to burn your tongue” so there’s no need to be polite and worry about cutlery!
Taste Italy’s Seasonal Food
Hopefully we have got you excited about what Italy has to offer in the spring. If you join us in person, we can introduce you to many more seasonal ingredients and dishes, and show you just how many different flavors you can get to know in this wonderful, varied country. Get in touch with us today to learn how we can help you build the perfect spring in Italy itinerary.
