With the warm weather on its way, we can finally sit outside and dine al fresco and enjoy a delicious meal with family and friends – what better way to impress your family and friends than with a fresh, tasty vegetable side dish to compliment your main meal?

This spring, surprise your family with the ultimate side dish, choosing a recipe created exclusively for Grana Padano by Sartoria’s chef patron Francesco Mazzei – oven roasted vegetables with fresh hazelnuts or cobnuts and Grana Padano shavings “in Agrodolce”.

Ingredients (Serves 4):

  • 200g       Beetroot
  • 200g       Fennel
  • 200g       Butternut squash
  • 200g       Purple Aubergines
  • 2             Red onions
  • 2             teaspoon tomato paste
  • 50ml       Extra Virgin Olive oil
  • 50g         Fresh hazelnuts or cobnuts
  •               Salt & Pepper
  • 2           Tablespoon honey
  • 500ml   Raspberry vinegar
  • 50g       Shavings of Grana Padano Cheese, aged for 20 Months
  • Fresh Herbs for decoration (Chervil, Basil, celery cress)
  • Method:
  • 1)     Preheat the oven to 185 degrees.
  • 2)     Place the beetroot in a pan of cold water; bring to the boil to cook the beetroot for a few minutes. Let it cool down in the water.
  • 3)     Blanch the fennel in a separate pan.
  • 4)     In the meantime reduce the vinegar to 2 tablespoons.
  • 5)     Add the tomato paste, honey and salt & pepper.
  • 6)     Cut the vegetables into four pieces, season and roast in the oven until they are nice and tender (approx. 25 minutes.)
  • 7)     Cut the vegetables into smaller pieces if desired and place on a plate.
  • 8)     Drizzle the sauce over the vegetables and top with Grana Padano shavings, hazelnuts and herbs.

*Agrodolce is a traditional sweet and sour sauce traditionally made by reducing two elements – vinegar & sugar – in Francesco’s recipe, vinegar and honey.

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