Maccheroni alla poderana is a typical recipe from Tuscany – from the Maremma area in the central part of the Grosseto province to be more precise. The flavorful pasta dish is characterized by a sauce made from artichokes, sausage, and fava beans. It takes around an hour to make (artichoke cleaning – arguably the most arduous step – included).
Maccheroni alla Poderana REcipe
Ingredients:
12 oz. maccheroni pasta (or elbow macaroni)
6 artichokes
1 lemon
4 oz. sausage
2 oz. fava beans
5 oz. tomato sauce
1 small onion
parsley
salt
pepper
extra-virgin olive oil
Method:
Begin by cleaning the artichoke. Remove the outer leaves – the ones that are too hard to eat – and leave the inner leaves. Also, remove the tip, but leave on some of hte artichoke stalk. Cut each artichoke into segments. Remove the heart and set artichokes aside in a bowl with water and lemon juice (to keep them from darkening in color).
Peel and chop the onion with a stalk of parsley. Add the artichokes and continue chopping the ingredients together. Sauté the freshly chopped vegetables in a non-stick pan and with extra-virgin olive oil. Once the onions are translucent, add the crumbled sausage (with casings removed) and the fava beans. Let simmer over low heat for around 30 minutes with the lid, stirring occasionally. Add the tomato sauce and season with salt and pepper. Continue cooking.
Cook the pasta in boiling salted water until al dente. Drain then mix with the sauce, stirring over low heat for about 2 minutes before serving.