Sometimes little elaborate recipes, daughters of hunger rather than taste, deserve to be remembered. They are dishes that tell the story of a community, capable of surviving even in difficult and tiring moments, such as that of a post-war period.
Ph. Carolina Fragapane
“Spaghetti del poverello” (in Neapolitan: 'o spavetto d''o puveriello), that is: Spaghetti of the poor man, for example: the name already underlines this characteristic. Very few ingredients: egg, lard (or oil, in the most modern versions), salt, pepper and - for those who want - grated parmesan. Nothing more. The egg is fried in lard, in a pan, and then placed on the spaghetti al dente.
A sort of forerunner of Carbonara (a recipe also born, not surprisingly, in the years of the Second World War), but less refined. It was the so-called art of getting by on your own, typical of those who tried to fill their stomachs with very little money.
Ph. Carolina Fragapane
But be careful not to underestimate the potential of this dish. On the other hand, egg, pasta and lard are always a good triptych. We talked about it with food blogger Mariachiara Ventresino, who revisited this ancient recipe in a contemporary way in her Instagram feed.
«Spaghetti del puveriello - Mariachiara tells us - is a dish with very humble ingredients but full of flavors, thanks to the unmistakable taste of the egg and of lard. A very simple recipe that both adults and children like. One of those dishes that save you when you don't know what to cook! This is one of the beautiful parts of Naples that particularly fascinates me».