Travel to Lidia’s Italy, Friuli-Venezia Giulia and a recipe for Herb and Wild Greens Fritatta

Our visit to Friuli was much too brief, but we are so appreciative of the opportunity to experience this beautiful region.  It captured our hearts.   We plan to return next year to experience more of what this area has to offer and linger longer tasting the wines and enjoying the specialty foods of the region while making new friends.  What could possibly be better.

Lunch and a Bastianich wine tasting at Elliot Enoteca and Ristorantino in Manzano

With Wayne and the two Luigis at Elliot Enoteca and Ristorantino

I have some suggestions for places to stay, visit and dine if you are interested in planning a trip to Friuli.  As Lidia Bastianich said, “There is a lot to experience and enjoy in this part of Italy.  It is an undiscovered treasure.”  We could not agree more.  There will be several more articles on our trip to Friuli in the near future.

Il Roncal

This “elegant country manor” was just that.  Nestled in the vineyards at the slope of Montebello, we felt like a special guest in someone’s country home.  The view from our patio looking at the 1,000 year old olive tree and vineyards was spectacular.  As with many of the local agriturismos and private homes in this region, Il Roncal makes their own wines.  Breakfast each morning was served either indoors or outside on the terrace and was European-style with fresh yogurt, fruit, cereals, pastries, meats and cheeses.

If you are not familiar with the term agriturismo, these properties are either a farmhouse, villa or inn that offers rooms for rent and they often have a restaurant on property.  Many agriturismos raise their own animals and produce and have vineyards to make their own wines.

Bastinach Winery

Be sure to stop by the new tasting room and try some of the Bastianich wines.  A few of our favorites were Adriatico Malvasia, Vespa Bianco, Vespa Rosso and Plus.  Be sure to tell Wayne that the Bunkycooks sent you. 🙂

Civadale del Friuli

A visit to the walled city of Cividale del Friuli, a UNESCO World Heritage site (as of June 2011) is not to be missed.  As you walk across the Natisone River on the the famed Devil’s Bridge you first catch a glimpse of the impressive Duomo (or cathedral).  This beautiful city offers historical sights like the National Archaeological Museum and Lombard Temple.  It also has several cafés and is incredibly picturesque.

Trieste

Located on the Italian/Solvenia border on the Adriatic Sea, Trieste has a lively cultural scene and great historical significance.  Trieste was Lidia Bastianich’s home for a few years as a young girl when she and her family fled communism and lived in a refugee camp prior to emigrating to the United States.  You can find her suggestions for visiting Friuli and Trieste in this Fodor’s article.

Al Morar

This agriturismo’s menu offers many traditional rustic Italian dishes as well as regional specialties, like gnocchi and polenta.  They are also known for their grilled meats and sausages.  We ordered Tagliatelle with Wild Mushrooms and Spaghettoni with Bolognese, a platter of grilled meats and some of their house wines.  Our dinner at Al Morar was simply prepared and reasonably priced.

Elliot Enoteca and Ristorantino

We enjoyed a lovely outdoor lunch at this restaurant in Manzano.  With views of the vineyards on the Collio Friulano hills, it was a spectacular setting for a leisurely lunch with regional specialties, beautifully prepared dishes and wine pairings from the Bastianich vineyards.

LaFrasca

Victor Scarbolo’s trattoria outside Udine serves local specialties and offers a very creative menu.  Local asparagus plays a prominent role in many of the dishes as do various meats and seafood.  They are also known for their salumi.  Each year they raise pigs and make their own salami, sausages and cotechini.  It is prepared using their own recipe and aged during the winter months.  We had a delightful evening and dinner at LaFrasca, once again paired with Bastianich wines that Wayne selected that day.

Thank you so much to Lidia Bastianich for the invitation to visit Friuli and to Wayne Young for being our guide during our stay.  It was a truly memorable experience and one we will not forget.

Herb and Spinach Fritatta

Lidia has provided a traditional recipe from Friuli for me to share with my readers, Herb and Wild Greens Frittata.  It was easy to prepare and the flavors were perfect together.  I prepared my frittata with fresh baby spinach, as suggested, when fresh nettles are not available.  I enjoyed the the simplicity of the fresh herbs and spinach. While you may be tempted to add cheese to this dish, I recommend that you enjoy it in its traditional preparation.  Take some time out of your busy day, pour a glass of wine, and enjoy this frittata with a friend.

Take the time to enjoy a glass of wine, lunch and good friends

Divertiti!

Disclosure – Bastianich Winery provided our accommodations at Il Roncal.  All our our other travel expenses to and from Friuli were paid by us.  As always, the opinions expressed here are my own.

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Print Recipe

Herb and Wild Greens Fritatta

Yield: 2 servings for lunch, 4 as an appetizer

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 8 minutes

Total Time: 18 minutes

This small frittata makes a wonderful appetizer cut in wedges and served at room temperature. Or serve one per person as a nice lunch dish. In Friuli frittata is best made in the spring and summer time when nettles, fennel fronds, young shoots of wild asparagus, or ramps could be gathered in the fields. But if you are more city-bound, you can infuse the eggs with fresh thyme leaves, parsley, and chives, which you can get year-round. – Lidia Bastianich

I used spinach in place of the nettle leaves since they were not available.

Ingredients:

4 large eggs
2 tablespoons milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons chopped chives
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1/2 cup blanched, strained and chopped spinach or nettle leaves
1 teaspoon butter
3 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil

Directions:

Note: For this recipe you will need a small frying pan, about 7 inches on the bottom, 9 inches across the top

1. Whisk the eggs, milk, salt and fresh herbs and greens until just blended together.

2. Heat the butter and oil in the small frying pan until it just starts to sizzle, then pour in the eggs, and turn the heat down very low. Cook gently for 3 to 4 minutes. The eggs will start to puff up and sizzle at the edges.

3. Lift a corner of the frittata with a spatula and check to see if the bottom has browned in splotches. When it has, flip the frittata over by giving the pan a firm, quick shake up and over toward you so that the egg mass dislodges and flips over in one piece. Or if that unnerves you, turn the frittata over with a spatula.

4. Cook the second side for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes, again checking to see if the bottom has browned to your liking.

5. Serve right away or let cool to room temperature and cut the frittata in wedges.

Recipe courtesy of Lidia Bastianich