Chicory, also known as Cicoria Catalogna or Puntarelle in Italian, is a leafy vegetable that is a member of the dandelion family. It is a bitter green that is overflowing with vitamins and minerals and is a powerful antioxidant. It also helps lower insulin levels which aids in the prevention of diabetes.
Chicory and beans, in many forms, is a common appetizer or side dish prepared in many ways throughout Italy. In Puglia, cicoria is often served sauteed along side a purée of fava beans. Similarly, in central Italy and in the northern part of Italy, it is common to sauté the cicoria along with cannellini beans or borlotti beans. It is also widely used, raw, in salads. In my family, it is simply prepared with cannellini beans and served as a side dish along with a fresh loaf of crusty Italian bread.
Cicoria E Fagioli Cannellini
Ingredients
- 1 large head of Cicory, cleaned
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes
- 3 cloves of garlic, crushed
- 1 – 14 ounce can of cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- salt to taste
- olive oil for drizzling
Preparation
01
Clean and chop the cicoria. Remove the large head of the cicoria by cutting about 1-2 inches from the base toward the leaves. Discard the base. Separate and clean any dirty stalks. Chop as shown above.
02
Bring a pot of water to a boil and add the chopped cicoria. Boil for 15 minutes. This will remove some of its bitterness. Drain the cicoria and squeeze out excess water.
03
Heat oil in a sauté pan and add crushed garlic. Stir the garlic and oil, while heating until the garlic starts to brown. Remove the browned garlic and set aside.
Add in the red pepper flakes and stir.
04
Add drained cicoria and drained cannellini beans and stir to incorporate. Heat through (1-2 minutes) and add salt to taste.
05
Remove from heat, plate, and drizzle with olive oil.
The creaminess of the beans, the slightly bitter, garlicky greens and the heat from the red pepper flakes makes this dish a melange of savory pleasures. That final drizzle of olive oil served with a nice chunk of crusty bread is a match made in heaven. Enjoy!
Serves 2-4 as an appetizer or side dish.
Variations
Add a filet or two of chopped anchovies or anchovies paste to the olive oil and crushed pepper for an additional pop of flavor.
Substitute dandelion greens for the cicoria.
Substitute Borlotti beans or fava beans for cannnellini beans.
Incorporate capers, or olives into the mix for added flavor.
