4 Spring Recipes That Celebrate Green Veggies And Olive Oil

Last fall, I took a trip to the Campania and Calabria regions of Italy to see how olive oil is made: the real, uncut stuff made from heritage trees grown almost exclusively in those regions, in some cases for hundreds of years. It was the height of harvest season, and farmworkers were busy laying down large swaths of cloth to catch the ripe olives they’d shake free from the trees with large spinning rakes. Seeing how high-quality extra-virgin olive oil is harvested by hand, then extracted with very little machine interference by crushing, spinning and straining the pulp, made me appreciate its value more. It also became clear why olive oil prices generally have spiked over the past couple of years: More frequent periods of drought and torrential rains due to climate change make harvests harder to predict.

Instead of wanting to cook with more olive oil, I came away from this trip with a resolve to be smarter about how I use it. Anything properly labelled as extra-virgin olive oil—i.e. cold-pressed oil that’s extracted from whole olives, without chemicals or heat—only goes into dishes cooked on medium-high heat or lower; the organic stuff barely gets heated at all, and is instead reserved for dips, dressings and drizzles. If a recipe only requires a couple tablespoons of cooking fat, I’ll reach for something else. These days, I only want to use my EVOO in dishes where it’s irreplaceable. 

Inspired by both my time in Italy and some favourite meals I make often, here are four ultra green, spring-friendly recipes that make good use of the good stuff. 

Fagioli e Scarola (Beans and Escarole)

You’d be shocked at how much texture lettuce can retain when braised: a soft crunch gives way to a sweet vegetal zing. The convenience of canned beans means this simple dish from the Campania region of Italy comes together in just under 20 minutes. Get this beans and escarole recipe.

Spaghetti Alla Nerano (Zucchini and Provolone Pasta)

In the traditional version of this coastal dish, the zucchini is deep fried and set to rest for 24 hours. That’s time and quantities of oil I just don’t have these days. With a bit of multitasking, this version comes together in 30 minutes. I like to think Stanley Tucci—who famously calls this unctuous spaghetti his hands-down favourite pasta—would still approve. Get this zucchini and provolone pasta recipe.

Sizzling Lemon-Fennel Broccolli

This is a hat-tip to cookbook author Ali Slagle’s garlicky sesame broccoli salad. It uses the same method of pouring hot flavoured oil over vegetables, Sichuan-style, to make their colour and taste pop without cooking them completely. The result is a crunchy, flavourful broccoli you’ll want to make in a double batch, as it stores beautifully in the fridge and is just as delicious served cold. Get this lemon-fennel broccoli recipe.

Asparagus Tart

No matter how you arrange the asparagus on this simple, peppery tart, it always ends up looking pretty.  Get this asparagus tart recipe.