Amaranth with pumpkin squash, Sicilian broccoli and pecans

This dish, also suited for vegetarians, vegans and those with celiac disease, has a surprising balance between the sweetness of the squash and the spiciness of the broccoli. We pair it with a Franciacorta Berlucchi ‘61 Nature Blanc del Blancs.

Amaranth is a pseudo-cereal that originated in Central America among the pre-Colombian peoples. The Aztecs called it the “food of the gods” and often used it, aside from daily nutrition, in religious ceremonies.

Thanks to its remarkable nutritional value and great digestibility, it is an excellent ingredient for many flavorful dishes and while it has the same calories as an authentic cereal, it does not contain gluten, which makes it suited for vegetarians, vegans and those with celiac disease.

Ingredients for 4 people:

350g amaranth, 1 liter of vegetable broth, 400g pumpkin squash pulp, 600g Sicilian broccoli, a red Sulmona garlic clove, extra-virgin olive oil as needed, red chili pepper as desired, salt as needed, 20 pecans cut into slices and 12 whole pecans.

Directions:

Cook the amaranth in the vegetable broth, add salt and simmer for around 30 minutes. Remove from heat, cover and let it sit for 10-15 minutes.

Cut the pumpkin squash into cubes and sauté them in a pan with a tablespoon of EVOO and salt to taste.

Add a tablespoon of EVOO to the cooked amaranth, stir to separate the grains and add in the squash. Cook and stir together on a low heat for a few minutes, adding in a few ladles of boiling water to keep from drying out.

Clean the broccoli and boil them for a few minutes. Drain and then fry them in a pan with EVOO, the garlic and, if you like, some chili pepper. Salt to taste, remove from the heat and eliminate the garlic.

Warm the plates and on each place a ladle of amaranth, some broccoli next to it and on top garnish with the sliced and whole pecans.

Wine to pair: 

Franciacorta Berlucchi ‘61 Nature Blanc del Blancs

In this first year of production, this Single Year Franciacorta (Millesimato) has an intense straw-yellow color with subtle gold highlights, abundant, creamy mousse and slender, sinuous bead of pin-point bubbles. Broad to the nose with notes of ripe plum and lime blossom, and evolved impressions of caramelised hazelnut. Elegance and fine balance are the hallmarks of the palate, which showcases both a velvety smoothness and a well-calibrated acidity. The finish is impressively satisfying, with a near-tactile consistency lifted by a delicate bead.

Production area: Franciacorta Docg area, a single parcel in the central block of the Arzelle estate vineyard, planted in deep glacial soils that give the base wines excellent structure. In addition, the special climate specific to this vineyard results in warm soils, as the name Arzelle testifies, a local dialect term for “burnt by the sun”.

Grape variety: 100% Chardonnay, average age of the vines 20 years, Guyot-trained, planted to a density of 10,000 vines per hectare, with a grape yield of 8,5 tons per hectare and a yield in must of 28%, equivalent to 3,170 bottles per hectare.

Wine-making: manual harvest in the middle third of August 2012. The selected clusters are given a slow, gentle pressing, with quality-fractioning of the juice. The must ferments in steel at a controlled temperature and the finest lots then mature on the lees for 6 months in French oak barrels. The cuvée is assembled in the following spring, solely with wines of the previous year, then the wine undergoes a second fermentation in the bottle and matures a minimum of 5 years sur lie, followed by an additional 6 months after disgorgement.

Dosage: Zero.

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