Puntarelle alla Romana

Ribbons of puntarelle radicchio dressed in salad dressing and garnished with a lemon wedge. White plate with fork on the side.

Puntarelle is the most interesting-looking member of the chicory family – think escarole, endive, radicchio – but with long pointy leaves encircling hollow, pointed tubes with a bitter but pleasant flavor Italians call amarognolo (ah-mahr-own-YOlo).  

The tubes are traditionally sliced thinly and enjoyed raw as a salad with an anchovy-based dressing similar to what you’d put on a Caesar salad. This version was inspired by a recipe from a San Francisco firehouse. If you want to make your puntarelle salad “alla California,” use the optional avocado and lemon for a simple, guac-like base to top with the salad. 

No puntarelle? Thinly-sliced endive is a good substitute. 

Ingredients

  • 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice 
  • 2 Tbsp Dijon mustard 
  • 1 Tbsp red wine vinegar 
  • 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce 
  • 3-4 cloves garlic 
  • 1.5 oz jar anchovy filets in oil 
  • ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese 
  • 1 cup olive oil 
  • Salt/pepper to taste 
  • 1 head puntarelle (about 1 lb) 
  • ½ lemon 
  • Optional: 1 avocado, ½ lemon 

Directions

  1. Cut bottom off puntarelle and remove large (more bitter) outer leaves to be used for something cooked like a soup or sauté. 
  2. Take a small tube and, slicing from the open end towards the pointy top, cut into thin ribbons that are held together by the top. Alternately, julienne tubes into separate strips. 
  3. Place puntarelle strips in a bowl with cold water, some ice cubes, and the ½ lemon (squeeze slight to release juice into water). Let rest for an hour, taste for bitterness. If you want less bitterness, change water and continue soaking for another ½ hour. This will also cause the cut tubes/strips to curl. 
  4. While puntarelle soaks, make dressing: Add lemon juice, Dijon, vinegar, Worcestershire, garlic, anchovy filets and their oil, Parmesan and olive oil to a blender and blend until creamy. Adjust taste with salt/pepper. 
  5. Drain puntarelle and dry in a salad spinner 
  6. Optional avocado layer: Mash avocado with juice from ½ lemon and salt/pepper to taste. Thinly spread a dollop of mashed avocado onto serving plates. Top with dressed puntarelle divided into equal portions.  
  7. For a vegan version, sub 1 Tbsp chopped capers for anchovies and use a vegan Worcestershire sauce. To maintain texture, stir capers into blended dressing right before adding to puntarelle.