Spaghetti with Barba di fratte

OH, It's again Monkbeard-time! And I'm happy.... ;)

Last year I prepared a simple salad, but this year I wanna prepare it as it is usual served in italy - with Spaghetti as a main dish. For the omnivores it's the Spaghetti vongole (shells) and a similar taste for the Vegans is Spaghetti with monkbeard. The original recipe is hold pretty simple, spiced with garlic, onion and parmesan. I chearded mine up with some peperoncini.

Yesterday when I bought the monkbeard and standing at the cash desk a women behind me asked me what this is and I - of course explained it to here - even the cashier itself had a closer look at it (AND she was a italian).

Back at home I searched the web for a recipe and just veganized it. The preparing is very easy - beside cleaning the monkbeard.

I was curious about the result, as I never ate Spaghetti with shells... But I knew how Monkbeard tastes and it tastes great!

A real great dish I have to say!! 

People who don't know Monkbeard defenetly miss something...... Glad I'm such curious to try unknow and rare vegetables!

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Spaghetti con barba the fratte (monkbeard)

for 2 people

Ingredients:
300g monk beard 
200g spaghetti 
2 tablespoons olive oil 
1 Peperoncino, halved and deseeded
2 red onion, chopped into rings
3 cloves of garlic 
salt 
vegan parmesan 

Direction:
Cook the spaghetti in salted water. Meanwhile, cut off the roots of the red monk Barts and wash the vegetables thoroughly. 5 minutes before the spaghetti are al dente, give the monk beard into the salt water with the spaghetti.

Meanwhile cut peperoncino in rings,  and cut garlic into thin slices and onion into rings. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan, add the garlic, onion and peperoncino into the oil and shortly roast. Immediately turn off the heat and maybe take the frying pan off the plate, so that the garlic won't burn (it would get bitterly). Let garlic, onion and peperoncino in the hot oil 

When the spaghetti are al dente, drain, and give into the pan, lightly mix with garlic, onion and peperoncion, then immediatly arrange on plates, pour over with the remained sauce and rub on some vegan parmesan cheese. You can easly spinkle on some lemonjuice or add some roasted cherry tomatoes.


Buon Appetito!