Umbrian recipes
The Umbrian recipe for Spaghetti with wild asparagus and Barbazza
Wild asparagus grows green and uncontaminated in the Umbrian woods and is used in many Umbrian recipes. Here’s one that is easy to prepare at home:
Ingredients for 2 people
Extra vergin oliveoil
1 chilli pepper
1 clove of garlic
Pecorino cheese
200g Spaghetti
200g wild asparagus
50g barbazza (if you can’t find barbazza, you can use pancetta or guanciale – pork cheek)
method
- Wash the asparagus in cold water. Handle it carefully because it is delicate
- Cook the asparagus in boiling water for 8 minutes
- Cook the spaghetti in salted boiling water
- Sauté the oil, garlic and chilli pepper, then add the barbazza and cook until it gets crunchy
- Add the asparagus to the barbazza and heat for a few minutes so the flavours mix
- Drain the cooked spaghetti and add it to the sauce. Add the grated pecorino and mix well before serving.
The Umbrian recipe for walnut liqueur
Walnuts from the Orvieto hills are used to prepare a delicious liqueur that matures in flavour and bouquet as it ages … if you manage to abstain from drinking it immediately!
Ingredients
15 ripe walnuts
1 litre of alcohol
1 nutmeg
15 cloves
1 stick of cinnamon
200g sugar
300g water
method
- Wash the walnuts and cut each one into 4
- Pour the alcohol into a tin, add the walnuts and leave it to soak for at least 2 months
- Add the cloves, nutmeg and cinnamon
- Leave to soak for 2 days
- Dissolve the sugar in the water and let it cool down
- Add the sugared water to the alcohol and leave to soak for at least 3 months
- Filter and bottle.
- The longer you leave it, the better it tastes!