Each Roman winter I’ve lived by way of follows the identical arc: denial (possibly the chilly received’t come this 12 months), give up (why are the ceilings so excessive and the heating so dangerous?), and eventually, obsession—particularly with the season’s produce. Market stalls brim with bitter greens, particularly chicories, cultivated across the Mediterranean for hundreds of years. Their sharpness comes from compounds like lactucin and lactucopicrin, which vegetation produce in response to emphasize and chilly. Poor soil or warmth intensifies the bitterness; cool climate brings every little thing into stability.
Wander by way of any Roman market and also you’ll see bins overflowing with leafy greens year-round. Many are types of chicory, all bought beneath the common label “cicoria.” In Roman kitchens, they obtain practically an identical therapy: trimmed, blanched, wrung out, then cooked once more in extra-virgin olive oil infused with garlic and chile. Within the colder months, one other type of chicory seems on the identical stalls: puntarelle.
Puntarelle is quite a lot of catalogna, a kind of chicory with lengthy, serrated leaves cultivated primarily in Lazio, the central Italian area of which Rome is each capital and chief client. Whereas the spiky outer greens are stripped away—generally discarded, generally cooked—it’s the pale, tender, hole stalks on the heart that Romans prize. These shoots aren’t leaves however immature flower stems that kind when the plant senses it’s time to breed. As temperatures drop and daylight shifts, the chicory begins sending up these tightly packed shoots in preparation for flowering, a course of generally known as bolting. Romans intercept that transformation, harvesting the plant simply because it begins to alter course. The result’s one thing not fairly a stalk and never fairly a sprout that’s crisp and constructed for crunch.
You’ll often see a market shopper purchase an entire head of puntarelle to organize at dwelling. Extra typically, although, Italians depend on pre-prepped puntarelle—stalks which have been pressured by way of screens (some improvised, others utilizing the official TaPu-branded cutters) to kind skinny ribbons. Plunged into ice water, the stalks bear a type of transformation: They crisp up, curl into spirals, and tackle a translucent glow. As soon as drained, they’re able to be bought. A couple of handfuls per individual is all you want.
For all its winter market presence, puntarelle isn’t precisely versatile. Romans don’t roast it, bake it into tarts, or flip it into soups. They make one factor: puntarelle alla Romana. Calling it a recipe feels reductive—it’s extra of a ritual. The stalks are drenched in a garlic-and-anchovy French dressing sharpened with vinegar and mellowed with extra-virgin olive oil. The result’s savory, bitter, and pleasantly balanced. The puntarelle’s delicate chew reins within the punch of the dressing, pulling every little thing into focus.
Although deeply rooted in Roman meals tradition, puntarelle hasn’t fairly crossed over overseas. It hasn’t even unfold broadly throughout Italy, although you’ll discover varieties cultivated within the Veneto and Puglia, the place they’re typically served atop fava bean purée. Stateside, you would possibly spot it at farmers markets and Italian specialty shops in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Portland, and Seattle—but it surely typically arrives untrimmed, its treasure hidden behind thick, rugged leaves. It’s important to know what you’re searching for.
Fortunately, a small group of Pacific Northwest growers and fans has taken on the position of chicory evangelists, instructing cooks and customers alike how one can acknowledge and put together puntarelle. In Oregon, Lane Selman’s Culinary Breeding Community bridges the hole between plant breeders, farmers, cooks, and eaters, making a collaborative area the place taste—not simply yield—drives crop growth. By tastings, discipline trials, and regional occasions like Chicory Week, the community has spotlighted the complexity and enchantment of bitter greens. By connecting the dots between seed and plate, Selman has helped unfold the chicory gospel, turning what was as soon as a distinct segment style right into a celebrated a part of the American winter pantry. It’s a sluggish, seasonal course of—one which will depend on farmers and cooks to champion puntarelle and different chicories at markets, eating places, and occasions, step by step introducing dwelling cooks and diners to their daring, uncompromising flavors 12 months after 12 months. Right here’s what to do with puntarelle in case you discover it at your native grocery store or farm stand.
Pound some garlic and anchovies (the quantity will depend on how daring you need the flavour) with a mortar and pestle, then whisk in vinegar and olive oil till the combination emulsifies right into a punchy, creamy French dressing. Toss the uncooked puntarelle ribbons with the dressing and function a starter or facet. You may blitz the dressing in a meals processor or blender as a substitute—and plenty of do—however nothing beats old school mortar and pestle.
Make Puntarelle Sott’olio
Blanch puntarelle ribbons in boiling water generously seasoned with vinegar, salt, and sugar. Dry them totally, then switch to a jar with a number of parsley sprigs and canopy with extra-virgin olive oil. Put aside for a number of hours to marinate, then serve at room temperature with garlic-rubbed toasts.
Make Ripassata in Padella
Blanch the leaves in salted boiling water, then drain, wring out extra moisture, and cook dinner in extra-virgin olive oil with garlic and chile flakes till tender.
Scatter puntarelle alla Romana atop a thin-crust Roman-style pizza, minimize into wedges, and serve.
