Stuffed escarole or “scarola ‘mbuttunata” is another staple of Neapolitan cuisine mainly prepared during the Christmas season.
The ingredients are the same as Neapolitan-style sautéed escarole, but what differs is the cooking method of the escarole, which is first stuffed with olives, capers, and pine nuts, sprinkled with pecorino, tied, and finally cooked in the skillet from raw until wilted.
Stuffed escarole is a recipe rich in flavors that every Neapolitan family generally customizes according to their own tastes, adding raisins and anchovies, or pieces of cheese and cold cuts. The cooking can also be done in the oven, with a sprinkle of breadcrumbs on top.
It can be served as a simple side dish but also as a light main. The important thing is to always accompany it with some slices of bread.
Now take a moment to read the recipe and then…let’s cook and eat!!
See also
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 4
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Fall, Winter
Ingredients
- 4 smooth escarole (small)
- 5.3 oz black olives (from Gaeta)
- 2 tablespoons salted capers (desalted)
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1.4 oz pine nuts
- 4 tablespoons breadcrumbs
- 4 tablespoons Pecorino Romano (grated)
- to taste extra virgin olive oil
- to taste salt
- to taste black pepper (ground)
Tools
- 1 Basin
- 1 Colander
- 1 Knife
- 1 Cutting board
- 1 Skillet
- Kitchen string
Steps
To prepare stuffed escarole, first, attend to cleaning the escarole.
After removing the tougher outer leaves, proceed to wash the escarole.
Place it upside down in a basin filled with water and gently move it to release any soil.
Repeat this operation at least 2-3 times, changing the water until it’s clean.
Then drain the escarole in a colander, and in the meantime, prepare the filling.
Pit and chop the black olives together with the desalted capers.
In a skillet, heat a base of oil with a clove of garlic, then add the chopped olives and capers and sauté for a few minutes.
Then add the pine nuts and breadcrumbs. Continue cooking for another two minutes.
Take the escarole and pat it dry with paper towels, then insert the filling between the leaves and finish with a generous sprinkle of pecorino.
Do not add salt because the filling is already flavorful.
Fold the escarole leaves towards the center and tie them with kitchen string so that during cooking, it doesn’t open up and spill the filling.
In a skillet, heat the oil with a clove of garlic (you can use the same skillet used for the filling), place the stuffed escarole and sear it on all sides over medium-high heat. Add a pinch of salt and pepper to taste, then cover with a lid and let it stew, turning it occasionally.
If necessary, you can also add a little water.
The stuffed escarole is ready when you can pierce the ribs closest to the base with a fork.
Serve your stuffed escarole hot, drizzling it with the oil in the skillet, and don’t forget to accompany it with plenty of bread 😋.
