Coratella

Coratella is a typical dish of Roman cuisine and is an example of ‘cucina povera’ (peasant cooking) but full of flavor, representing one of the ways to honor the complete use of different animal parts. Coratella is a mix of lamb offal (or from other animals), which includes the heart, liver, and lungs, and sometimes the spleen as well. It is a dish that is often consumed at Easter.

Ingredients

• 1 lamb coratella (heart, lung, and liver)
• 1 white onion
• Extra virgin olive oil
• White wine, as needed
• Salt, as needed
• Black pepper, as needed
• Baby artichokes (optional)
• Several sprigs of fresh parsley

Preparation

1. Clean the coratella thoroughly. Remove the inedible parts and wash the offal carefully under cold running water. Cut the offal into medium-sized pieces.
2. Finely chop the onion and let it sweat in a pan with extra virgin olive oil.
3. Add the coratella to the pan with the onion and let it brown for a few minutes.
4. Deglaze with a glass of white wine and allow the alcohol to evaporate.
5. Lower the flame and cook slowly for about 20-30 minutes, adding a little water if necessary to prevent the sauce from drying out too much. Season with salt and pepper.
6. If you want to add a touch of flavor and a bit of crispiness, you can include thinly sliced baby artichokes, added towards the end of cooking.
7. Once the coratella is cooked, sprinkle with chopped parsley before serving.

The coratella may be served on a warm plate as a second course, accompanied by slices of homemade bread and a good red wine.

Fun Fact

Every family has its own variant of the dish, with some recipes including ingredients like artichokes, especially in coratella with artichokes, a typical Easter dish. Coratella, like other offal-based dishes, was historically considered a way to waste no part of the slaughtered animals.