Pinzimonio: the sauce recipe for raw vegetables

Il pinzimonio it’s a raw sauce prepared with olive oil, salt and pepperto which it can be added lemon juice o vinegar. It is a perfect condiment for flavoring verdure crude and thus obtain the classic pinzimonio, to be served in delicious small glasses, such as contour o antipasto light. To make it, we beat oil, salt, pepper and lemon juice with a fork to create aemulsion. We cut the fennel, carrots, celery, radish and peppers into strips, a stick or into small pieces, then arrange everything in a bowl to be placed in the center of the table, so that everyone can serve themselves and dip the vegetables in the sauce. Furthermore, we recommend accompanying the vegetable pinzimonio with hummus and a Spritz, to make the dish even more delicious.

The word pinzimonio comes from the verb “pinzare” (to prick) and is an expression that indicates the habit of eating raw vegetables dipped in olive oil and salt. The origins are Renaissance, but only in the nineteenth century the replacement of sauces with olive oil became a custom. This raw condiment is also known as “cazzimperio”, a term from Roman dialect which comes from the word “cazza”, which means “ladle”, a typical tool of alchemists. The pinzimonio is usually served in summertimebut it can be prepared all year round, even in the winter version: the important thing is to choose seasonal vegetables.

Find out how to prepare the vegetable pinzimonio by following the step by step procedure and advice.

How to prepare the vegetable pinzimonio

First of all, wash all the vegetables thoroughly and prepare them for cutting 1.

Start with the carrots: remove the ends and peel them with a mandolin, then cut them into strips or into small pieces 2.

Clean the pepper, remove the seeds and the internal white ribs 3then cut it into strips.

Do the same with the celery and fennel 4.

Finally, cut the cherry tomatoes in half 5 and check the radishes leaving them whole.

When all the vegetables are cut, divide them into single-serving cups or arrange them on a single serving dish 6.

Pour the extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice into a small glass, add the salt, pepper and whisk with a fork, in order to obtain an emulsion 7.

To complete the recipe, pour the pinzimonio into the bowls and arrange them in the center of the table or on the sides of the plate: each guest will dip their own vegetables in the bowl before enjoying them. 8.

Advice

To prepare the pinzimonio you need fresh and seasonal vegetables. In estate carrots, celery, cucumber, tomatoes and pepper are ideal. If, on the other hand, you want to prepare this sauce in Winteryou can choose a mix of fennel, carrot, Belgian endive or radicchio.

This condiment can also be enriched with vinegarmustard, mixed aromatic herbs, yogurt, chilli, so as to personalize it and make it always different and tasty.

Variants

In addition to the classic pinzimonio, of Tuscan origin, there is also the Sicilian variant which includes garlic, peeled tomatoes, mint and a little water.

Who loves the sweet and sour tasteinstead, you can prepare an exquisite pinzimonio by emulsifying soy sauce and honey in a ratio of 8: 1, so as to accompany both raw vegetables and fresh fruit.

storage

You can store the vegetables for the pinzimonio in the refrigerator inside an airtight container for maximum 1 day. Also, to prevent the vegetables in the fridge from losing their crunchiness, you can store them in glass jars filled with cold water. The sauce, on the other hand, can be covered with cling film and kept in the fridge for even more than 2 days.