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    Home » Leafy Greens

    Pasta with Chicory, Anchovy and Pecorino

    Published: Jan 13, 2023 Modified: Jan 16, 2023 Author: Alan Bergo

    Jump to Recipe

    Freshly cooked penne pasta with bitter puntarelle chicory greens, anchovy and pecorino cheese is a good, simple pasta to make when bitter greens are in season.

    A pan of puntarelle pasta with tomato and pecorino cheese.
    A simple puntarelle pasta recipe with garlic, hot chili and anchovy.

    Unlike the most famous insalata de puntarelle, this pasta uses the mature greens of the plant as opposed to the tender heart of unopened buds.

    Removing the outer leaves from a chicory plant.
    Remove the outer leaves to reveal the heart. You'll cook with the leaves in this recipe.

    If the heart is all that you have, you can also use it too. Just make sure you try the traditional salad in the future as it's excellent.

    a wooden bowl of sliced vegetables with a green napkin, spoon and fork.
    The classic (puntarelle alla romana) or Roman chicory salad is another recipe to try.

    How to make it

    There's two easy steps: cooking the puntarelle or other greens, then cooking into a simple sauce for pasta.

    Puntarelle

    Cut the puntarelle greens into 1 inch pieces, saving the heart to make puntarelle salad if desired. Blanch the greens in boiling salted water, squeeze dry, and reserve.

    Cut the puntarelle into 1 inch pieces.
    Blanch the greens in boiling salted water until tender.
    Drain and squeeze the greens dry.

    Pasta

    Heat sliced garlic in a cold pan until golden brown. Add the anchovy and stir it in with the chili. Add the greens and mix, then the tomato. Finally add the pasta and toss to coat with the sauce.

    Start the garlic in a cold pan.
    Carefully cook the garlic until golden brown.
    Stir in the anchovy and chili.
    Mix the greens with the garlic and oil.
    Add the tomato sauce, toss, and add the pasta.
    Serve with pecorino.

    Variations

    There's lots of different greens you can use here. Puntarelle is great, but other bitter greens are good too. It's a great place to show of the classic Italian erbe selvatiche, or wild edible weeds you'll see in recipes like Ligurian Pansotti and Prebboggion: The Wild Edible Plants of Liguria. Here's a few examples:

    • Dandelion greens
    • Escarole
    • Endive
    • Bitter mustard greens
    A pan of puntarelle pasta with tomato and pecorino cheese.
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    5 from 3 votes

    Puntarelle Pasta with Anchovy and Pecorino

    A simple pasta with bitter chicory greens and traditional Roman flavors like pecorino, anchovy and dried chile.
    Prep Time5 minutes mins
    Cook Time25 minutes mins
    Total Time30 minutes mins
    Course: Main Course, Pasta
    Cuisine: Italian
    Keyword: Puntarelle
    Servings: 2 People
    Calories: 486kcal
    Author: Alan Bergo
    Cost: 5

    Equipment

    • 1 Pasta pot
    • 1 chefs knife for cutting the puntarelle
    • 1 10 inch saute pan

    Ingredients

    • 4 oz dried pasta such as ziti or penne or 8 oz cooked pasta
    • 1 large clove garlic thinly sliced
    • 1 oz 1 tablespoon anchovy fillets, chopped
    • 2 tablespoons cooking oil or light olive oil
    • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil plus more for serving
    • Pinch crushed red pepper flakes
    • ¼ cup tomato sauce or a few handfuls of cherry tomatoes
    • Grated pecorino cheese to taste
    • 6 oz puntarelle or other bitter greens, cut into 1 inch pieces
    • Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

    Instructions

    Puntarelle

    • Bring a pot of salted water for pasta to a boil. Blanch the chicory in the water for 3-4 minutes, or until just tender. Remove the chicory and drain.

    Pasta

    • Heat the garlic and oils in a cold 10 pan on medium low heat. Cook until the garlic slices are golden, about 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the anchovy and crushed red chili and stir.
    • Add the cooked chicory greens, mix, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Add the tomato sauce and mix to combine. Cover and cook on medium low heat until the greens are tender and taste good to you.
    • Cook the pasta in boiling salted water until al dente, then drain, reserving some of the cooking water.
    • Add the pasta and a splash of pasta water to the pan with the puntarelle. Toss to combine and put back on the heat for a minute.

    Serving

    • Season to taste with salt and chili until it tastes good to you. Divide the pasta between 2 heated serving bowls. Serve with grated pecorino cheese and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

    Notes

    Tossing with breadcrumbs 

    Another good version of this is similar to pasta Barrese. Instead of tomato, add ⅓ cup toasted breadcrumbs cooked in olive oil to the pasta to finish at the end. 

    Nutrition

    Serving: 8oz | Calories: 486kcal | Carbohydrates: 44g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 21g | Cholesterol: 9mg | Sodium: 164mg | Potassium: 278mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 140IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 40mg | Iron: 2mg
    « Fazzoletti: The Handkerchief Pasta
    Puntarelle: A Deliciously Bitter Italian Chicory »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. D

      June 12, 2023 at 8:18 pm

      5 stars
      This was wonderful! The only addition I’d recommend is a squeeze of lemon in the sauce right before you put the pasta in. Thank you for sharing this recipe!

      Reply
      • Alan Bergo

        June 13, 2023 at 5:03 pm

        Thanks D.

        Reply
        • Emily

          October 15, 2023 at 9:42 pm

          5 stars
          Delicious! I doubled the recipe and made with some leftover homemade tomato sauce i had on hand and rizopia penne. Didnt know what to do with the puntarelle I received in my csa box, this was perfect!

          Reply
          • Alan Bergo

            October 18, 2023 at 8:34 am

            Glad it worked for you, and I'm jealous you have a CSA that delivers puntarelle!

            Reply
    5 from 3 votes (1 rating without comment)

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