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The recipe for pan-fried vignarola: chef Giovanni Milana tastefully reinterprets an iconic dish of the Roman spring tradition

An original interpretation of the Roman Vignarola proposed by Giovanni Milana of Sora Maria e Arcangelo awarded as the best trattoria in Italy

The recipe for pan-fried vignarola: chef Giovanni Milana tastefully reinterprets an iconic dish of the Roman spring tradition

The "Sora Maria" who gives her name to the sign, in the first decade of the last century, worked as a cook at the English embassy, ​​an enviable and safe position for those times. The Archangel of the other half of the sign is a man of one piece, libertarian and with a straight back. Why work for others, asks the Archangel, when we can set up shop on our own? There is a peripheral area in Rome where you can start a shop with little money available. And Pigneto, a highly popular neighborhood, born around 1870 on the vegetable gardens, villas and vineyards that have populated this area since ancient times. It is a place of passage for the consular streets of Casilina and Prenestina, many carters come here who want a refreshment and a rest after they have unloaded their goods brought from afar. And the underclass, poor day labourers, railway workers and factory workers can find homes there. Precisely because of its history of poverty, this neighborhood was later chosen by great directors of Neorealist Cinema to set masterpieces such as Roma Città Aperta (1945) by Roberto Rossellini with Anna Magnani and Aldo Fabrizi, such as Bellissima with Anna Magnani which Luchino Visconti filmed in the courtyards of Via Alberto da Giussano, like Pier Paolo Pasolini for his first film Accattone in 1961.

We are very far from today's Pigneto with its lively and alternative atmosphere, the carefree life where vintage markets and very fresh food are full, street food, traditional trattorias, ethnic restaurants, literary cafés and trendy clubs.

But let's go back to Sora Maria and that stubborn Archangel Milana: business is starting to go well, the rumor that the food is good in that tavern even goes beyond the confines of the neighborhood. But... but times change, fascism arrives and the Archangel can't accept it passively, in fact he really doesn't want to know about it. His rebellious character exposes him to the dangers of the Militias, we urgently need a change of scenery. And so the two abandon Rome and look for a quiet place where they can forget about the Archangel's excesses and protect themselves from unpleasant surprises.

They moved bag and baggage in 1930 to Olevano Romano, their town of origin, about sixty kilometers from Rome, perched on Mount Celeste, which dominates the Upper Sacco Valley from above, surrounded by countryside and woods

And off we go again. Sora Maria doesn't struggle to get back on track, offering simple cuisine that has all the genuine flavors of the countryside and the local vegetable gardens. Over time the cuisine becomes refined. When his son Primo inherits the stove from his father, he begins to travel throughout Italy to raise the added value of that cuisine that comes from the territory but which also gives itself a touch of refinement. Dishes are born that will remain in the history of this little restaurant housed in the cellars of an old building, such as pappardelle "alla bifolca" with white courtyard ragout with juniper and citrus fruits, a dish that was praised by none other than the great Luigi Veronelli. Which was followed by others who consolidated the fame of this place in Italy and also abroad. Today in the kitchens, after the handover from Arcangelo to Primo, there is the founder's grandson, Giovanni Milana. All trained at the Sora Maria school. The restaurant is constantly growing in flavor and fame. Giovanni is irrepressible in acquiring techniques, combinations, treatment of raw materials from the great starred and non-starred restaurants, and further raises the bar of quality, managing to obtain the first major recognition, the Best Interpretation of Italian Regional Cuisine award from the Slow Food Guide of the Osteria d'Italia which talks about it like this: "a welcoming, full and recognizable Sunday cuisine, which is inspired by the products and great classics of its territory but which is not afraid of contemporary touches, for a measured result, of great tasteful and memorable. For 50 TOP it is the best Trattoria in Italy. The certification of the Gambero Rosso Italian Restaurant Guide is along the same lines. And then comes Michelin who reports it in these terms: “Descend the stairs to reach the atmospheric rooms, located in the same spaces where the granaries were once located. Since 1949, the kitchen has been producing dishes linked to traditions with a careful search for genuine, quality products. Among the unmissable: Cannelloni della Sora Maria stuffed with veal pie, au gratin with San Marzano tomato sauce and fior di latte”.

There are many unmissable dishes on its menu, Mondo Food has chosen a very original Vignarola with egg and pecorino romano, a true condensation of local flavours, which falls perfectly in time with the flavors and taste of this spring. Here she is:

Pan-fried vignarola with poached egg, pecorino romano fondue and toasted bacon

Ingredients for people 4

For the vignarola:

2 Roman artichokes

1 kg of broad beans

1 kg peas

some romaine lettuce leaves


2 new spring onions

A bunch of mint

the juice of ½ lemon

2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil


100 g of bacon cut into strips

½ glass of white wine

salt and pepper.

For the poached egg:

Small saucepan with water, two tablespoons of white vinegar and a pinch of

sale

4 egg

For the pecorino fondue:

100 g Roman pecorino

¼ whole milk

2 yolks

Method

I shell the peas and broad beans, then clean the artichokes by removing all the leaves

hard and cut them into segments by immersing them in water acidulated with the juice of

lemon. I cut the bacon into strips and the spring onions. I heat the oil in a

pan, add the bacon and brown it for about 6 minutes, then

I add the spring onions and keep the heat moderate to make them sweat

Now I put the artichokes and peas in the pan, turn up the heat a little and mix

to make them flavor well in the sauté. After a few minutes, I bathe with the

wine and, when it has evaporated, I add salt and pepper. After a few minutes, I merge

also the broad beans, the mint and bathe with ½ ladle of vegetable broth. I'll put it

the lid and cook for about 5 minutes before adding the

lettuce cut into pieces. I mix, cover and after a few minutes the vignarola is ready

ready.

Separately, I bring the water to a light boil with the addition of two tablespoons of

vinegar and a pinch of salt, using a ladle I create a vortex where

I'll crack the egg and bring the poaching

Toast some strips of bacon in a pan to give the dish some flavour

crunchy note.

I prepare the fondue by bringing the milk to the boil, adding the grated pecorino

and let it melt, add 2 egg yolks like a cream and bring to

cooking the sauce.

In a small saucepan I put the vignarola, the poached egg, a spoonful of

fondue, toasted bacon and garnish with a few leaves of

mint.

Sora Maria e Arcangelo restaurant

via Roma, 42 – Olevano Romano

T. 06 9562402

info@soramariaearcangelo.com

Closed: Sunday and Tuesday evening, all day Monday and Wednesday

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