P
Italian · Molise
Minestra di Cicerchie e Maiale al Pecorino Molisano
Cicerchie (grass peas, Lathyrus sativus) are an ancient drought-resistant legume grown in the Apennine regions. This Molisano preparation braises them with pork rind, guanciale, and a preserved sausage until the broth becomes starchy and the legumes melt slightly at the edges. Finished with a generous scraping of aged pecorino and a thread of olive oil. Cicerchie are larger than farro, nuttier than chickpeas, and have a slightly bitter edge that requires the long-cooked pork fat to balance.
I
The Market List
The benchmark for each ingredient, and who stocks it near you. Tap a stockist to go straight to the product.
400 g
cicerchie (grass peas, Lathyrus sativus)
soaked 48 hours, water changed twice daily, drained
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
150 g
pork rind (cotenna)
scraped clean, cut into strips
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
100 g
guanciale
cut into lardons
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
1
preserved pork sausage (salsiccia stagionata)
pricked, left whole or halved
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
1 tsp
wild fennel seeds
added to the cooking water
Your own market
1.5 litres
water
cold, plus more as needed
Your own market
To finish
60 g
aged pecorino Molisano
finely grated
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
4 tbsp
extra-virgin olive oil
raw, for threading over at service
Your own market
1
dried Molisano peperoncino
crushed, for chilli oil garnish; optional
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
fine sea salt
fine sea salt
added mid-way only, after cicerchie begin to soften
Your own market
II
The Method
1
Place the soaked and drained cicerchie in a heavy pot with the pork rind strips and the wild fennel seeds. Cover with cold water by at least 5 cm. Bring to a gentle boil over medium heat, skimming any grey foam that rises. No salt at this stage. The surface should show a steady, slow simmer — not a rolling boil.
2
Add the guanciale lardons and the preserved sausage. Reduce the heat to a low simmer and cook, partially covered, for 1 hour. At this point press a cicerchia between two fingers: the skin should yield but the centre will still be chalky. If any resistance remains at the skin, continue before adding salt.
From the canon — Guanciale (from 'guancia' — cheek) is the cured pig's jowl that is foundational to Roman cooking — the fat used in amatriciana, carbonara, cacio e pepe's ric… Guanciale — Cured Pig's Cheek of Lazio and Abruzzo →
3
Once the skins give freely under light pressure, add salt to taste. Continue cooking, uncovered, for a further 30–60 minutes. This is where the dish lives or dies: the cicerchie must cook to the point where their edges begin to melt into the broth, the liquid thickens of its own starch to coat a lifted spoon, and the slight bitterness of the legume resolves entirely into the pork-enriched broth — no thickening agent is added, and no bitterness should remain.
4
Remove the sausage and slice it. Return it to the pot. Remove and discard any pork rind pieces that have not softened sufficiently, or leave them if they are yielding and gelatinous. Adjust the consistency: the broth may be left loose as a minestra or allowed to reduce further until the cicerchie nearly collapse into a thick, almost puréed mass — both are correct. The spoon dragged across the surface should leave a momentary channel.
5
Remove the pot from the heat. Ladle into warm bowls. Finish each portion with a generous scraping of aged pecorino Molisano and a thread of raw extra-virgin olive oil. If using, add a drizzle of chilli oil made from the dried Molisano peperoncino. The oil should pool briefly on the surface before the bowl is carried to table.
III
Quality Hierarchy
01
Reserve — Cicerchie sourced directly from a named Apennine producer, dried within the current season; aged pecorino Molisano stagionato of at least 6 months from a single flock; guanciale from a small Molisano salumiere; extra-virgin olive oil cold-pressed from a local cultivar.
02
Estate — Certified Italian cicerchie (Lathyrus sativus) from a specialist importer; DOP or equivalent aged pecorino; artisan guanciale from a reputable Italian salumificio; a well-sourced sausage stagionata.
03
Market — Cicerchie from a good Italian delicatessen or online pulses merchant; a firm aged pecorino romano as substitute for Molisano; commercially produced guanciale; a quality aged sausage such as salsiccia secca.
04
House — Dried grass peas or, if unavailable, chickpeas as a structural substitute (flavour profile will diverge); any aged sheep's milk cheese; pancetta as a replacement for guanciale; any dried cured sausage to hand.
IV
Sensory Tests
◇Touch. A cicerchia pressed between two fingers collapses without a chalky centre and the skin offers no resistance — the point at which salt may be added.
◇Sight. The broth coats the back of a spoon and a line drawn through it holds for two to three seconds — starch from the legumes alone, no thickener added.
◇Smell. The earthy, slightly vegetal scent of the cicerchie gives way to a deeply savoury, collagen-rich aroma as pork rind and guanciale dissolve into the broth.
◇Sight. Raw olive oil threads across the surface of the finished bowl and pools briefly before spreading — confirmation the broth has sufficient body.
◇Where it lives or dies. The cicerchie must cook until their edges dissolve into the broth, the starch thickens the liquid without any added agent, and every trace of bitterness is absorbed by the pork collagen — stop short of this point and the dish fails on every register.
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VI
What to Pour
The pairing
Wine
From British Columbia
Wine
Without alcohol
GT's Synergy Organic Kombucha — Gingerade
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
Non-alcoholic
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The whole pairingPillar VII
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