Without a doubt, this is the most radicated teramana recipe in the local tradition.

Its origins go back througout the centuries. “The dish, made up of legumes, vegetables and different types of pasta, derives its fundamental caracteristic from the season in which it is possible to find a large variety of vegetables and legumes. Its' name “virtù” comes from the nature of the ingredients , that back then, contrary to what happens today, were the poorest products obtained from the land and didn't cost... their weight in gold. Probably, the name is also due to the fact that the preparation was based on patience and that in the month of May ( tradition wants that this dish is eaten on May 1^st) nature gives out products with the best taste.

Directions:

Put the different legumes to soak separately the evening before, soak the pork rind in hot water with a ham bone cut into small pieces (and only if in good condition) and peel the vegetables.

The day after, boil the different legumes separately and the pork rind, cut into little square pieces and divided among the legumes. Prepare with the mixed mince meat seasoned with salt, pepper and nutmeg, little meatballs. Coat with egg and fry artichokes and zucchini.

Finely chop the vegetables. In a capacius pot put oil, butter, cured ham cut into small pieces and pounded lard. Then mix in potatoes, carrots, zucchini cut into small squares, small meatballs, garlic and onions finely chopped, clove heads, nutmeg, a small spoonful of pepper, l”annit”and “pipirella”( special teramano herbs) , broad beans, hulled peas, a cut up artichoke, majoram, parsley, celery, and let season until the dressing is absorbed. Add the vegetables and cook for about 15 minutes. Add tomatoes and boil for other five to ten minutes.

Add the legumes with their own cooking water (but leave some to add later) cook for about 10 minutes.

Prepare hand-made egg pasta in a variety of colours: yellow made with eggs, green made with spinach and red with tomatoes. Cut in a variety of shapes (big squares, circles, tagliolini, etc). Put water to boil in two separate pots.

Once the water has boiled, cook if you wish agnolotti and tortellini first, then a small amount of store bought pasta, of a bigger size, and at the end, in the second pot, the homemade pasta, which is ready when it floats to the top.

Drain the pasta stopping its cooking with cold water. Put all of it in the pot with the legumes, mix thoroughly and remove the pot from the heat. Add quite a large amount of parmesan cheese,the egg coated and fried artichokes and zucchini mixing once in a while.

Serve the special soup after about two hours, when it should be quite dense. Since the quantity of the ingredients is enormous, it is very difficult to give the exact doses. The following are orientative quantities of ingredients for six people. However, experience and visual impact of the dish will help you to understand if the ingredients are correct.

250 gr. Mince meat; 250 gr. Cured ham;100 gr lard;50 gr. Butter; 1 glass of oliv oil; 1 nutmeg; 4 clove heads; 1 handful of parmesan; cheese; 4 eggs; 250 gr. store bought pasta; 1 handful of agnolotti and tortellini; ½ bottle of tomato salsa (or a box of peeled tomatoes)

Attention:

experts advice not to put a large quantity of the various vegetables, to avoid that the unimitable harmony of tastes in the “virtù” is mistaken for a common minestrone.

Ingredients for 6 people:

dry legumes (beans, chickpea, lentils); fresh legumes (peas and broad bean); various vegetables (carrots, zucchini, potatoes, Swiss chard, different types of endive, lettice, cabbage, calliflower, beat, borax, wild spinach, spinach, fennel, “misericordia”, garlic, onion, “annit”- type of wild fennel with a very strong odour essential in the preparation of this dish- majoram, sage, “pipirella” - type of tyme sold in the teramano area- celery, persil, artichockes); also, eggs, cured ham, oliv oil, butter, pork rind, beaf, nutmeg, pepper, clove heads, lard, parmesan cheese, flour, a variety of store bought

pasta, hand made pasta and if you wish, tortellini and agnolotti.