Tag: Italian greens

Puntarelle alla Romana and Cicoria Ripassata

Puntarelle alla Romana and Cicoria Ripassata are two classic Roman dishes that celebrate Italy’s fondness for bitter greens. Both are types of chicory.

Puntarelle

Puntarelle are a distinctive type of Italian chicory (cicoria catalogna), especially associated with Rome and the Lazio region, where they appear in markets during the cooler months.

Punterrelle, a type of chicory

I have always loved Italy’s bitter greens — cicoria, radicchio, indivia, cime did rape, dandelion  — flavours that many people initially find challenging, but which Italians value for their slight bitterness. Puntarelle belong firmly within this tradition.

The plant has long serrated leaves, but the prized part is the pale green central shoots that are tender, crunchy and slightly bitter.

The shoots of the Puntarelle

Their texture and flavour make them especially refreshing when eaten raw.

Puntarelle – vegetable with some of the outer leaves removed

Puntarelle, even more so than chicory, are not a common vegetable. I have only purchased Puntarelle twice in Australia, once from Carmel and Gus’s stall at the Queen Victoria Market and now I was delighted to find it at Daniel’s stall in the B Shed Shop 23-26. The stall is called Sophia’s.

The classic Roman preparation is Puntarelle alla Romana. The shoots are sliced finely into thin strips and soaked in iced water until they curl and become wonderfully crisp – a bit like curling celery.

Curled puntarelle after being soaked in iced water

They are then dressed simply with olive oil, garlic, anchovy and vinegar or lemon juice. The flavour is sharp, savoury and refreshing at the same time. Sometimes hard boiled eggs are added to the dressed salad and this makes this dish extra suitable as a starter.

The ingredients for the dressing

Like many Italian vegetables, very little is wasted. The outer leaves are often boiled or sautéed with olive oil, garlic and chilli in the style of cicoria ripassata, much like other bitter greens prepared throughout Italy.  I have added this recipe because I have mentioned that the course outer leaves are cooked and not wasted.

A mixture of  leafy greens can be added with the outer leaves of the Punterelle as there are likely insufficient greens to cook in this manner.

I particularly appreciate puntarelle because they reflect something essential about Italian cooking: the ability to transform a simple seasonal vegetable into something elegant through restraint and balance rather than complexity.

For those who enjoy vegetables such as dandelion greens, chicory or radicchio, puntarelle offer a similar bitterness but with a particularly crisp texture and elegant appearance. They pair beautifully with anchovies, citrus, capers, olives and robust olive oil — flavours that appear frequently in Roman and southern Italian cooking.

ROME’S BITTER GREENS

Puntarelle alla Romana

This is one of Rome’s most characteristic salads — crisp, bitter and refreshing, with the salty sharpness of anchovy balancing the chicory beautifully.

Ingredients
  • 1 bunch puntarelle (mine was one plant)
  • 4 -8 anchovy fillets
  • 1-2 garlic clove
  • 2–3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1-2  tablespoon white wine vinegar or lemon juice
  • Freshly ground black pepper
Preparing the Puntarelle

Separate the pale inner shoots from the outer leaves. Save the small leaves to add to the salad.

Slice the shoots finely into thin strips. Traditionally they are cut very thinly so they curl easily.

Place the strips into a bowl of iced water for about 30 minutes. This helps them curl and become crisp.

Preparing the Dressing

Traditionally, anchovies and garlic are crushed together to form a paste. Add olive oil and vinegar or lemon juice and mix well.

Alternatively, the garlic can be crushed and placed in a jar with the oil and lemon juice. The anchovies are then cut into small pieces and mixed together just before dressing the salad. I prefer to do this as it allows for a more visual presentation. 

The dressing: Chopped anchovies and a mixture of extra virgin olive oil, squeezed garlic, and lemon juice
Assembling the Salad

Drain the puntarelle thoroughly and dress just before serving.

Taste and adjust seasoning carefully — the anchovies are already salty.

Punterelle alla Romana – salad

The salad is excellent with grilled fish, roasted meats or simply with bread especially when there are boiled eggs in the salad.

 We had it as an accompaniment to a seafood Paella.

Cicoria Ripassata

This is one of the simplest and most satisfying ways Italians cook bitter greens. The word ripassata refers to the greens being “passed again” through the pan after boiling.

Cicoria – Chicory
Ingredients
  • 1 large bunch cicoria or other bitter greens including the outer leaves of the Puntarelle
  • 2–3 garlic cloves, sliced
  • Chilli flakes or fresh chilli to taste
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • Salt
Cooking the Greens
  1. Wash the greens thoroughly and trim any tough stems.
  2. Boil in salted water until tender — usually about 10–15 minutes depending on the maturity of the greens.
  3. Drain well and gently squeeze out excess water. Chop roughly if the leaves are large.
  4. Heat generous olive oil in a frying pan.
  5. Add the garlic and chilli and cook briefly until fragrant, but do not allow the garlic to burn.
  6. Add the greens and sauté for several minutes so they absorb the flavours of the oil.
  7. Taste for salt and serve warm or at room temperature.

In Rome this dish is often served alongside grilled sausages or roasted meats, especially pork – the bitterness counteracts the fatty nature of the meat.

CICORIA and Puntarelle (Chicory)

CICORETTA CON SALSICCIA (Chicory with fresh pork sausage)

ITALIAN BITTER LEAF SALAD

WANT NOT WASTE NOT- Chicken livers and chicory, twice

Ways to cook leafy green vegetables. Purslane and Malabar spinach

I have just returned from being away over Christmas and New Year and am pleased to find that purslane plants have sprouted in my various pots on my balcony. Purslane (Portulaca oleracea) is a weed in Australia. It grows in many parts of the world including southern Italy and is very much appreciated in various cuisines especially in The Middle East, Greece, Crete and Mexico.

I rescued a purslane plant from the roadside last summer and planted it in a pot; it soon grew from a single taproot and formed a large, thick mat of stems and leaves. Throughout hat summer I collected the small, fleshy leaves and the most tender parts of the stem for various salads and I also sprinkled leaves on top of cold soups – this added flavor, texture and colour.

The raw leaves are succulent and crisp and have a tart and lemony flavor. Taking notice from some of the Greek traditional recipes I liked them mixed with ingredients such as tomatoes, basil and feta. Recipes are meant to be broken and of course I added my own touches and various ingredients. I also like mixed green leaf salads. Below rocket, purslane, fresh mint leaves, pine nuts, extra olive oil  and lemon juice.

Towards the end of summer the plant had grown far too large and woody and I pulled it out. It is a seasonal plant and by then the mature plant had obviously scattered its small black seeds in my other pots.

I think that if I had a garden I would find Purslane very invasive, hence appropriately called a weed in this part of the world that does not have a long continuous history of foraging. The culture of foraging in Australia has been largely disregarded over the past 200 years. For tens of thousands of years and before European settlers the Aboriginal people foraged native flora and there is also historical evidence pioneers and explorers ate wild greens.

Purslane can also be cooked on its own or added to other greens;I rather like the mucilaginous gel-like consistency it adds to food (like Okra) but many people do not.

This climbing plant above is growing in one of my friend’s back garden in North Adelaide. (The potted plants below are his too.). The plant is Basella rubra, commonly known as Malabar spinach, Vine spinach or Ceylon spinach. This creeping vine is the variety of Basella with purplish-stems and deep-green leaves with pink veins.

Basella is a popular tropical leafy-green vegetable native to south Asia and eaten widely in Asian countries where it is known by a variety of local names, for example and to name a few, it is mostly known as saan choy in China, mong toi in Vietnam, pui saag in parts of India, remayong in Malaysia and alugbati in the Philippines.

This photo above is  Basella alba – unlike my friend’s plant in Adelaide the stems are green and the plant will have a small white (alba) flower rather than crimson (rubra). I bought this bunch with its deep-green, oval to heart-shaped leaves a from the stall where I usually buy my Asian greens at the Queen Victoria Market

Like spinach Basella alba and Basella rubra it is a very versatile vegetable. The young leaves can be eaten raw and the larger leaves are cooked and depending on the regional cuisines it can be added to soups, in stir fries, curries etc. Like purslane the leaves are fleshy and thick, they remain crisp and taste of citrus when raw and when cooked the leaves soften and taste slightly mucilaginous. Basella doesn’t wilt as much as spinach.

Basella leaves remind me very much of Warrigal Greens. (Tetragonia tetragonioides ) is a leafy groundcover also known as Botany Bay spinach, Cook’s cabbage, kōkihi (in Māori), New Zealand spinach,. Although I have cooked this green many times before I do not have any photos.

I cooked the leaves of the Basella alba and sautéed them in extra virgin olive oil with garlic. On this occasion, I wanted a conventional green vegetable side dish to accompany a main of fish. If however, I had wanted to cook them in a Chinese way, I may also add spring onions, fresh ginger, chili, sesame oil, oyster or soy sauce. Maybe for a Japanese recipe I would add mirin or miso. Although I am typecasting some ingredients you will understand what I mean.

And would I have fed these vegetables to my mother?  No way…. but maybe if I had used some typical way of cooking Italian greens she may begin to appreciate them.

Here are some conventional ways of cooking greens the Italian way:

Boiled

Bring a small amount of lightly salted water to boiling Add the greens. Cover the pan and cook until tender or to your liking.
Optional: Cook the greens using only the water still clinging to leaves; cover, and cook until wilted, stirring halfway through.
Drain the greens well in a colander.
Dress with some extra virgin olive oil, adjust the seasoning if necessary (add pepper is optional) and a squeeze of lemon juice.

Sautéed

Heat some olive oil, add the garlic, (chillies and the anchovies are optional).
Add the vegetables sauté for a few minutes until they begin to wilt.
Add white wine (if liquid is needed), cover and cook till softened. (Some cooks pre-cook the greens and then sauté them – this may not be necessary).

Optional: chillies to taste, and /or a few anchovies can be added at the same time as the garlic.

With pine nuts and currants

Soak some currants in a little warm water to plump them (about 10 mins). Drain before using. In a small pan toast pine nuts by tossing them around until light golden. They burn easily, do this quickly. Set aside.
Heat some olive oil, add some garlic, add greens and sauté until wilted. If necessary, drain off any liquid.
Return the greens to the pan. Add currants and pine nuts and sauté a few minutes more.

Optional: add cinnamon or nutmeg and/ or grated lemon peel.
Cook in butter instead of oil.