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The first day of the month of May has always been a feast day for Romans and an occasion to leave the city behind and enjoy a day out in the countryside, “for de porta” (outside the city gates).   Historically, the May day feast took place on the field at Testaccio, in the great squares of Rome and in a number of streets. The events once included dances, games and amusements which often ended up with brawls and, occasionally, even knife fights. Among the various games, a particular favourite was ruzzica. The ruzzica was a heavy wooden wheel which was hurled as far as possible, along a set route, occasionally of a length of kilometres. As we can well imagine, ruzzica required training and practice. The wheel was sometimes replaced by a large piece of cheese which the winner was allowed to keep. May Day is still a time to be spent in the countryside with friends, seated around a table and in front of a dish of fave or broad beans. The broad beans must be of the Roman variety, fresh, tasty, and of a medium size. A fine glass of wine will go down well as an accompaniment, along with a slice of traditional country-style bread and some genuine pecorino romano sheep’s milk cheese.   For the cooks among our readers, we recommend an old recipe which is both flavoursome and simple. Remember! The fave must be of the Roman type – and very fresh and crisp! The recipe: Roman broad beans with pig jowls Ingredients (for 6 people): •    600 g spaghetti •    300 g Roman broad beans •    150 g pig’s jowls •    1 onion •    80 g lard •    Salt and black pepper – we recommend the pepper, Pepe di Rimbàs, from Malaysia (Presidio Internazionale Slow Food) Directions In a pan, fry the onion and pig’s jowls (in fairly large pieces) with the lard. Add the broad beans, flavoured with salt and pepper. Add a few spoonfuls of cold water. Cook over a high flame. Serve in a hot vegetable dish.

Lent is before Easter: in the Roman traditional cuisine that features poor and simple recipes, this time of the year has always been reminiscent of the old strict rules laid down by the papal authorities. Those rules provided for the exclusive use of only a few ingredients, sometimes granted with written permission. Given the season and the tradition, what better way then to speak of a true and traditional recipe of traditional Roman cuisine featuring popular, modest and economical products: Pasta with Romanesco broccoli in skate broth.

Romanesco broccoli is a pyramidal-shaped vegetable cultivated in the Roman countryside and harvested in falls and winter. The saying quotes "broccoli, hooves and preachers after Easter are not more good." Several documents bear witness to its history and its presence on the tables and in the markets of the capital. The Roman poet Gioacchino Belli, in his sonnet "Er testamento di Pasqualino" written in 1834, described the gardener as "Torzetto" referring to the torso of broccolo he cultivated and sold. Same historical importance in Roman tables is due to skate or ray. Fished for centuries on the coasts of Lazio, it is a small and cheap fish but with an intense flavor and firm flesh. It is possible fishing it all year but is very easy to find it in fish shop more frequently in winter and spring: so this is the right time to buy it. Warning: you only eat what are called "wings" of the skate, in reality the body, because the skate is a flat  fish. So what are you waiting to put you in the kitchen?

The recipe: Pasta and broccoli in skate broth 

Ingredients
• ½  kg clean skate (dotted ray)
• 1 kg and ½  od Romanesco broccoli
• 250 g of spaghetti (broken or maltagliati)
• 200 g of pealed tomatoes
• 2 anchovy fillets in salt 
• 1 golden onion, 1 stalk of celery, 2 cloves of garlic
• Pecorino romano Dop - Enough salt and chilli 1 glass of dry white wineVegetable oil
• 1 glass of dry white wine
• Extra-virgin olive oil, salt and chilli 

Instructions 
Bake the fish in a pot of salted water and flavored with celery and onion obtaining a delicate broth. In a saucepan saute the oil, chopped garlic and desalted anchovy fillets. Add the broccoli washed and cut into florets. Season with a little salt and chilli, add the wine and deglaze, add the tomatoes into small pieces. After a while add the fish broth carefully filtered. When the broccoli are almost cooked, add the pasta and cook al dente. Let the soup rest for a few minutes, then serve sprinkled with grated pecorino romano cheese.