Vignarola

Method

1. Finely chop the onion.
2. Heat a generous amount of extra virgin olive oil in a large pot. Add the onion and dried chili pepper; sauté until the onion softens.
3. Clean the artichokes: remove the tough outer leaves, trim the stem, and cut into wedges. Squeeze lemon juice over them to prevent browning.
4. Add the artichokes to the pot, season with salt, and cook for a few minutes.
5. Clean the asparagus: cut off the tough bottoms, slice the tender stalks into pieces, and halve the tips. Set the tips aside.
6. Add the asparagus stalks to the pot and cook along with the artichokes.
7. Shell the fava beans and add them to the pot (he adds them whole, but you can blanch and peel them if preferred).
8. Add the fresh peas to the pot.
9. Wash and roughly chop the lettuce, then add it to the pot.
10. Add the reserved asparagus tips.
11. Season with salt and pour in a generous amount of white wine. Let the alcohol evaporate over high heat. Do not cover the pot.
12. If the vegetables are still too firm, add a splash of water and continue cooking for another 5 minutes.
13. Just before finishing, add the Roman mint leaves (mentuccia romana) and the grated zest of one lemon. Optionally, add some lemon juice.
14. Serve the vignarola with some of its liquid, accompanied by a slice of crusty bread.