The puntarelle or asparagus chicory because its shape resembles asparagus, are a typical Roman salad dish. Their slightly bitter taste pairs well with a dressing of garlic, olive oil, vinegar, and anchovy fillets.
The challenging part of preparing puntarelle salad is cutting them the right way; they need to be sliced into very thin strips. Usually, the white end of the puntarella is peeled to make it softer, then these strips are cut with a very sharp smooth-blade knife, the thinner they are, the more they will curl in water.
Fortunately, nowadays, there are small tools to facilitate this cut, and I suggest a model that I find convenient, but still, the white end of the puntarelle must always be peeled to remove the outer hard part.
When we cut puntarelle, we then need to immerse them in a bowl with very cold water. I personally add ice cubes to the water, and we let them soak for at least an hour but even more. This step, besides curling the puntarelle, removes some of the bitterness they normally contain. You will notice when you drain them from the water that it will be darker in color; rinse them well and then proceed to dress them.
I recommend dressing them at least an hour before consuming them so they have time to absorb all the flavors and become even softer.
This is a very tasty side dish, accompanied by fresh bread, they have a unique flavor that you will not find in other sides.
Anchovies are normally added to the dressing for puntarelle, but they are not essential if you want a vegetarian and vegan dish, do not add the anchovies and maybe enrich them with a bit of crushed chili pepper.
I suggest other very tasty vegetable dishes
- Difficulty: Medium
- Cost: Economical
- Rest time: 1 Hour
- Preparation time: 30 Minutes
- Portions: 4
- Cooking methods: No Cooking
- Cuisine: Italian
- Energy 151.83 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 2.56 (g) of which sugars 0.94 (g)
- Proteins 9.29 (g)
- Fat 10.87 (g) of which saturated 1.72 (g)of which unsaturated 1.60 (g)
- Fibers 4.61 (g)
- Sodium 1,306.83 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 125 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
- 1.1 lbs puntarelle
- to taste salt
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 tbsps extra virgin olive oil (generous)
- 1 tbsp vinegar
- 12 fillets anchovies in oil
Tools
- 1 Vegetable Cutter
- 1 Knife
- 1 Bowl
Preparation
When you buy the bunch of puntarelle, you will find it covered with the typical chicory leaves, remove them all and you should leave only the puntarelle part. Of course, do not waste the chicory leaves but cook them separately.
When you have reached the “white” core of the puntarelle or sprouts, detach one at a time and cut off the harder bottom part. Remove only the hard part that cannot be peeled because the white part that can be peeled with a knife should be used.
After cleaning each sprout from the harder parts, cut it vertically first in two, then gradually into many thin slices, as shown in the photo. If you want to use the tool I suggested, after peeling the sprout, simply cut it all together starting from the white part and pulling it through the iron grid. You will see that the tool comes with instructions and it is not difficult to use, otherwise proceed as shown in the photo with a knife.
As you cut the puntarelle, toss them into a bowl with cold water. Once all are cut, add some ice and let them soak for at least an hour. Then remove them from the water and squeeze them very well using a salad spinner or patting them with a dish towel.
Now you can dress them with salt, oil, vinegar, finely chopped or crushed garlic, and anchovy fillets, which I personally break into pieces.
NOTES
The dressed puntarelle are consumed at room temperature, and I recommend dressing them a little before consuming them to fully savor their taste, but there are also those who enjoy eating them freshly dressed. They keep well in the refrigerator until the next day, but always bring them back to room temperature before consuming.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can they be bought already cleaned?
You can easily find puntarelle already cleaned on the market, but personally, I prefer to clean them myself as I find them tastier and softer.
