Spring recipes from Roberta

Breakfast with vegetables

Breakfast is just about the most important eating moment of the day because it kicks-start your inner engine. Tired of the rusk? Breakfast salads are increasingly popular. Roberta Pagnier's colourful version is the morning sun on the table.

Colourful breakfast salad
For 4 people

This is what you need:
1 courgette
1 chioggi beetroot
200 g radishes, halved, leaves attached
1 large orange
4 eggs
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp raspberry vinegar
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp honey
1/2 bunch of dill
1 head of little gem
salt & pepper
evt toast

How to do it:
Slice the courgette lengthwise into thin strips with a peeler or cheese slicer. Cut down to the seeds. Slice the chioggiabite (with that lovely red and white ring markings inside) on the mandolin into thin slices. Blanch the radishes for about 1 min in boiling water. Cut the peel thickly from the orange and slice the flesh. Fry or poach 4 eggs. Make a dressing from 3 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp raspberry vinegar, 1 tsp mustard, 1 tsp honey and salt and pepper to taste. Arrange all vegetables in a semi-circle on the plate, tucking dill and little gem leaves in between. Drizzle with the dressing. Serve with toast if desired.

Dine on spring pasta

A deliciously light and flavourful pasta with spring greens will please everyone. Roberta Pagnier gives it a salty bite with salmon.

Spaghetti with spring vegetables (garden) and salmon
For 4 to 6 people

You will need:
1 shallot, finely chopped
1 courgette, diced
2 cloves of garlic
500 g ricotta cheese
1 large bunch of basil
1 lemon
500 g fresh spaghetti
300 g fresh peas
1 bunch of thin green asparagus, cut into 3 cm pieces
200 g smoked salmon (preferably wild)
extra virgin olive oil
salt & pepper

How to do it:
Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a frying pan. Fry the shallot approx. 2 min. Add the courgette and garlic and fry for another 8-10 min. Season with salt and pepper.
Spoon the ricotta into a tall cup. Keep a few sprigs of basil for garnish and add the rest. Grate the zest of the lemon over it, add some lemon juice to taste and grind with a hand blender to a smooth sauce. Season to taste with salt.
Cook the spaghetti in plenty of salted water for about 4 min until al dente. Cook the peas and asparagus in a little water for about 4 min al dente. Meanwhile, tear the salmon into strips.
Set aside a cup of the pasta cooking liquid. Drain the spaghetti and return it to the pan. Stir in half of the ricotta sauce and add a dash of cooking liquid for extra smoothness. Spoon half the salmon, a few spoonfuls of peas and the courgette through the spaghetti. Season additionally if necessary.
Divide the spaghetti between the sides of 4 flat plates and garnish with the rest of the salmon. Over each plate, brush the rest of the ricotta sauce with the back of a spoon next to the spaghetti. In this, place the blanched vegetables nicely upright for a mini vegetable garden. Garnish with the leftover basil.

Enjoying with sugar lemon

A sweet and sour spicy treat for toe is made with lemon and ice cream. Roberta Pagnier was inspired by Paolo Conte's song 'Gelato al Limon': Un gelato al limon // Gelato al limon // Gelato al limon // Spofondati in fondo a una città // Un gelato al limon // è vero limon. Fancy it!

Stuffed lemon with basil-salad sugar
For 4 people

This is what you need:
4 large lemons
500 ml lemon sorbet
1 large bunch of basil
5 sage leaves
60 g sugar


How to do it:
Cut off the caps of the lemons at about 3/4th and scoop out the flesh. Rinse the lemons well under the tap and drain upside down on kitchen paper. Cut a small cap off the bottom of the lemons so they remain firm. Fill the lemons with sorbet ice cream. In a mincer, grind the basil and sage with the sugar until bright green basil sugar forms. Garnish the sorbet ice cream with this and put the caps back on.