Culinary Explorer
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Cicoria Ripassata
Created by Chef Graziella
The Roman way with bitter greens: boiled first, then tossed in a hot pan with garlic and peperoncino until the edges crisp and the bitterness sings. Simple, fierce, essential.
Romans understand bitter greens in a way that most Americans do not. They do not try to tame them. They do not balance them with sweetness or bury them under cheese. They boil them until tender, then ripassare, pass them again through a hot pan with garlic and chili, and serve them as they are: bitter, green, alive.
The word ripassata tells you everything. This is a two-step process, and both steps matter. The boiling tenderizes the tough leaves and mellows their harshness just enough. The pan gives them back their character, crisping the edges and saturating them with garlic-scented oil. Skip either step and you have not made this dish.
Cicoria is a contorno, a side dish, meant to stand beside roasted meat or grilled fish. But I have watched Romans eat it alone, with bread to soak up the oil, as a meal unto itself. The bitterness is the point. If you find yourself wanting to add something to soften it, you have missed the lesson entirely.
Ingredients
chicory
Quantity
2 pounds
cicoria catalogna or puntarelle leaves
kosher salt
Quantity
for the cooking water
extra virgin olive oil
Quantity
1/4 cup
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| chicorycicoria catalogna or puntarelle leaves | 2 pounds |
| kosher salt | for the cooking water |
| extra virgin olive oil | 1/4 cup |
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