After a few weeks of March rains, spring has sprung in Sicily. It is the season when nature is at its most generous and heartening, a time to take advantage of transforming some of this wonder into colourful, healthy, and nutritious dishes.

Thanks to the recent rains, now followed by sunshine and mild temperatures, there is plenty of wild asparagus to be found. This morning I went to pick them in the countryside just outside Palermo, near my home.

The marigold was shining all around me, so I thought that the bitterness of these asparagus could be softened by preparing a risotto with a marigold broth.

Then, when I opened the fridge to get the wine for the sauce, I thought it would be interesting to blend it with the Passito di Pantelleria that my friend Giovanni produces in an artisanal way on the island between Sicily and Africa. So I started.

I chose to cream the rice with chilled extra virgin olive oil because it is a very good, and certainly healthier, substitute for butter in the creaming process.

I also preferred to use Caciocavallo from Palermo because I am a great believer that the flavours of a place should be supported. In this case, the asparagus, with its intense flavour, allowed me to use a cheese that was spicier than Parmesan.

Ingredients for 4 people

• 400 g Carnaroli rice
• a bunch of wild asparagus (about 50 stems)
• 1 clove of unpeeled garlic
• 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
• a bunch of marigold flowers (about 25 flowers)
• a glass of Pantelleria Passito wine
• a small glass of extra virgin olive oil kept in the freezer for half an hour
• 2 tablespoons of Caciocavallo Palermitano (or parmesan cheese)
• 1 litre and a half of water for the stock
• salt to taste

Preparation methodology

Start by preparing the stock by putting the water and marigold flowers in a small saucepan with a pinch of salt and bring to the boil.

Prepare the asparagus: take the part that goes from the tip to where the asparagus breaks off effortlessly. Cut this softer part of the asparagus into 3 cm pieces and finely chop with a knife the tougher part that you had left out.

Put a clove of unpeeled garlic in a small frying pan with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. As soon as it sizzles, add the asparagus and sauté for a couple of minutes. Add a ladleful of stock and cook for 3 minutes.

Now put the rice in a Ghisanativa pot and put it on the heat, turning and checking the temperature with your knuckles. When the rice is very hot, almost red-hot, pour in the Passito and let it evaporate for a few seconds.

As soon as the alcohol smell has gone, start adding the marigold stock, keeping the rice moist but not watered down. When you have reached the desired cooking level, turn off the heat and stir in the iced oil and two tablespoons of grated cheese.

Let it rest for a couple of minutes and serve with some fresh marigold flowers.

Please note: with Ghisanativa it is important to turn off the heat a few minutes before the end of cooking because cast iron conveys a lot of heat and by letting the rice rest in the pot, the cooking continues.

Veronica Schiera

“An environmental educator in Sicily and a cooperator in Tanzania for a long time, in 2017 I began to study agri-food supply chains and became passionate about the world of cooking. Later I studied at the Gambero Rosso cookery school and decided to open a restaurant in one of the city’s old markets, the Capo, in the historic centre of Palermo, Le Angelique, in 2019 with three other female colleagues and friends, of which I am the chef. I continue to roam the woods of the island to find inspiration and keep in touch with the Planet of which I have deep respect that I pour into a careful, tasty and zero-kilometre cuisine.”

This recipe was prepared on