Pino’s Feast for Twelve: Orvieto Peppers, Peppa Asparagus…..and More

A recent dinner in our Assisi farmhouse cooked up for Mary and friends – Pino doing most of the dishes – actually started in Orvieto.

The Orvieto Saturday outdoor market is a panorama of colors backdropped by the stately medieval city hall ….

….and while wandering there on a recent visit to our son Keegan, Pino spied a crate of tender green peppers.

“Per la cena, voglio fare anche peperoni per un antipasto” (“For our dinner, I want to make peppers, too, for a starter”).

While Pino and Keegan handled the “pepper detail” – also purchasing garlic and tomatoes Pino would need for that dish – I wandered the other stands…..

Back home in Assisi, Pino went to work on his peppers, slicing them, eliminating all seeds….

…. then sautéing the peppers on our woodstove with garlic……

As the peppers simmered…..

…..Pino raided our freezer for the ingredients he would use to create a buonissima pasta dish: wild asparagus foraged in the woods by Peppa in May, artichoke hearts and fava beans:

Tidbits of guanciale (pork cheek), too, and garlic joined the vegetables in this creazione di Pino……and a ripe tomato tidbits, too

And when Pino later served the pasta up, visual enticement for us all even before we tasted it:

No one could try it, though, until Pino had sprinkled it with pecorino (sheep’s milk) cheese:

A chicken Peppa had raised would follow that pasta, sautéed in our olive oil and seasoned by Pino with diced carrots and celery, garlic, majoram, rosemary, sage, and lemon juice…

Sautéed wild chicory (picked by Peppa….logicamente!) would follow the greens – but all were warned to be sure to have room for the tiramisu.

I had added an addition to this one: on top, crushed amaretti cookies joined the shaved chocolate as well as a gift from American friends, Heath bar toffee tidbits:

Mille grazie, Mary, for graciously serving up that dessert to the delightful group you and Anne brought to our home:

…..and warmest thanks to each of you for having shared in a memorable evening.

Read about foraging for wild asparagus in the Umbria woods

Read about – and see! – Peppa gathering wild chicory

Read about another antipasto at our dinner: Eastertime cheese bread