WWII Italian Military Carrots
Garrison ration sauteed carrots and pasta with tomato sauce with plenty of parmesan
City/Region: Italy
Time Period: 1932
The state of the Italian military rations during WWII varied widely. At the beginning of the war, Italian troops had a reputation for being exceptionally well fed with 3,500 calories per day that included meat, fat, bread, pasta, heavy stews with fresh vegetables and meat, cakes, sweet pastries, cereal, oatmeal with milk and honey, sliced meats, and copious amounts of cheese. Later on, troops would be glad to get U.S. emergency rations.
This recipe would have been prepared near the beginning of the war when things like lard and fresh vegetables were plentiful, and it’s delicious. The original recipe is for turnips, but the cookbook gives instructions that carrots can be prepared the same way. If turnips aren’t in season, like they weren’t when I made this, the carrots are fantastic.
“Military-style Turnips
(Quantities for 100 men)
Turnips 15 kg
Lard 500 g
Garlic 50 g
Parsley 500 g
Cheese 200 g
Salt and pepper
At certain times of the year, turnips cost very little, so they can easily be used as a side dish. Peel them and cut them into small pieces or slices. Cook them for 10-15 minutes in salted water. Separately, melt the lard in a pan, add the crushed garlic, and sauté it without letting it brown too much. Remove the garlic and discard it. Add the turnips, well drained of their cooking water, and let them take on the flavor, stirring frequently, for 15-20 minutes. Add the chopped parsley, salt, and pepper. Shortly before serving, add the grated cheese.”
Ingredients:
- 1.6 lbs (750 g) sliced carrots or turnips, I used orange and purple carrots
- 2 tablespoons (25 g) lard
- 1 clove (3 g) crushed garlic
- 1 cup (25 g) minced parsley
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Freshly grated parmesan cheese, for topping
Instructions:
- Salt a large pot of water, then add the carrots and bring the pot to a boil and boil for 15 minutes, then drain the carrots.
- In the same pot, melt the lard. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, making sure it doesn’t brown too much. Remove the garlic. Add the drained carrots to the pot and stir to coat them in the garlic-flavored lard. Cook, stirring frequently, for 15 minutes.
- After 15 minutes, add the parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook for about 2 more minutes, then serve them forth with plenty of cheese, the WWII Italian Military Pasta, and some watered down wine for extra authenticity.