Macaroni with a sauce of asparagus, onion, peas and broad beans

Maccheroncini con frittedda

By: Antonio Carluccio
From: Pasta
Serves: 4
Photographer: Laura Edwards

Frittedda is a speciality of Palermo, the capital of Sicily, where in springtime this young vegetable stew is eaten with panelle, chickpea flour fritters. I like it also as a sauce for pasta, and quite often add small, finely sliced artichoke hearts. This recipe is dedicated to Sicily, the first region in Italy to ‘import’ pasta – probably maccaruni – from the Arabs.

Ingredients

Quantity	Ingredient
350g	dried maccheroncini pasta
50g	parmesan, freshly grated
	salt and pepper, to taste

Sauce

Quantity	Ingredient
60ml	extra virgin olive oil
2	onions, peeled and finely sliced
150g	young broad beans, podded and peeled, peeled weight
150g	sweet young garden peas, podded weight
300g	asparagus tips
2 tablespoons	finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Method

Heat most of the oil in a large saucepan, add the onions and fry gently until soft, about 6–8 minutes. Add the raw broad beans, peas and lastly the asparagus tips. Add 100ml water and braise until the vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Cook the pasta in plenty of boiling salted water for 6–7 minutes or until al dente. Drain well and mix with the sauce. Add the parsley and divide between four warmed plates. Sprinkle over the Parmesan and lastly pour on a stream of the remaining extra virgin olive oil. Serve hot.