Lidia Bastianich

Lenticchie Brasate
This recipe is an accompaniment for Chicken Breast Valdostana with Braised Lentils.

Petto di Pollo alla Valdostana con Lenticchie Brasate

I sometimes suggest some side dishes to go along with main courses and let you make up your mind which you prefer to serve. I love this combination so much, though, that I'm including the side dish as part of the recipe. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Pastiera Napoletana

If you can't find hulled whole-wheat kernels (sometimes sold as "pastry wheat"), substitute barley, skip the soaking, and cook as described below, but for only about 30 minutes. Whole wheat kernels — grano in Italian — are used for this traditional Neapolitan dessert that became a mainstay in Italian-American restaurants and bakeries. In Italy, cooked whole-wheat kernels can be found in cans; if you spot some, it will make this recipe a little simpler.

Scaffata

This is a wonderful Roman spring dish that can be made when peas and favas in their shells are young and sweet. The name comes from the word scaffare — "to shell" in Roman dialect. It is especially good when served with roasted spring lamb or goat. The outermost, less tender leaves of a head of romaine, which you may not want to use in a salad, are perfect for this dish.

Agnello di Latte Arrosto

I always had mixed emotions about this dish as a little girl. Traditionally, it was served at the first meal after Lent, a joyous occasion to which everyone looked forward, including me. Still, there was an element of personal sadness: My pet was being eaten. At Busoler I spent long hours playing in the fields with lambs and young goats, and always found sentiment struggling with appetite at Easter. When the appearance of the first peas of the season coincided with Easter, they'd be shelled and added to the dish at the last moment.

This recipe is an accompaniment for Braised Lamb Shanks .