Verdure Ripassate in Padella
If a Roman is nasty or cranky to you, just know there is a good chance they are constipated. Vegetables, once the anchor of the local diet, have been phased out in favor of carb- and meat-heavy diets. But that’s where verdure ripassate can come in. Literally “re-passed greens,” this approach is the city’s canonical way of cooking leafy things. The method is simple: Blanch your chicory (or chard or broccoletti) until tender, then sauté it in olive oil with garlic and a touch of peperoncino until the greens in question are hammered and soft and unidentifiable.
The double-cook is essential. It softens the greens’ tough stems and coaxes out that earthy, slightly bitter flavor Romans crave. I like using wild chicory when I can get it, the kind that practically bites back, barely tamed by oil and heat. Fiber deprivation issues solved.
5 ingredients
Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 25 mins
Verdure Ripassate in Padella
Ingredients (5)
Ingredients (5)
Instructions
Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add salt until the water tastes like a seasoned soup.
Add the greens (2 lb) and cook until the stems become tender.
Drain, squeezing out any excess liquid by pressing the greens against the colander over the sink.
Meanwhile, heat the olive oil (¼ cup) and garlic (1 clove) in a large pan over low heat just until the garlic starts to take on color, about 5 minutes.
Add the peperoncino (1) and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Transfer the greens to the pan, increase the heat to medium, and cook until they are very soft, 10 to 15 minutes.
Add waterwater to the pan as needed to prevent the greens from burning.
Serve warm.
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