The reception we've had to Giampiero Bea's line of artisanal ingredients from Montefalco has been outstanding. While the Bea Grezzo oil has earned itself a loyal following over the years, the new imports live up to the Bea name with gusto. The spaghetti and bandiere pastas crafted from the Bea flour (milled from an ancient grain called Senatore Cappelli) are both hearty and nutritious ... we've heard the words "best pasta ever!" floating around a good number of times. The dried heirloom lentils and peas have been similarly impressive, with chefs and home cooks alike responding to the robust flavor captured in such tiny morsels. Below you will find the next recipe in our series of homegrown family recipes from the Beas. This time, we present a heartwarming creation made with the Roveja wild peas ... a satisfying staple.

Roveja, Bea Style

• The night before service, bathe the peas in cold water for 12 hours
• Drain the water. Place the peas in a pot and cover with water; add salt to season; boil the concoction for one hour, adding more water if necessary. Be sure to start with just a small portion of salt and taste (better to add salt at the end, if necessary).
• While the peas are cooking, prepare a medley of onions, carrots and celery chopped and cooked on a low flame in a bit of olive oil (the Bea Grezzo would be a wonderful companion as would our Armato S-ciappa) with a half cup of white wine until cooked
• Remove the peas from heat while they are still slightly crunchy. Set aside 1/3 of the cooked peas in a separate bowl for later. Then, add the rest of the boiled peas to the onion/carrot/celery little by little … stir in as the peas and sauce continue to cook; once all is assembled in the pot, add the water remaining from the original pot of peas and cook for another hour covered; taste from time to time; the peas should still be slightly crunchy
• Remove pot from fire
• Place the peas and salsa medley in a blender and blend until the mix achieves a velvety, creamy consistency; you can add some of the cooking water if necessary to obtain the desired texture
• Serve the pureed peas in a bowl and place a couple of spoonfuls of the still crunchy Roveja that was set aside originally (before pureeing) on top of the pureed peas; dress with Grezzo olive oil and a few sprigs of rosemary; accompany with toast