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A Caesar salad with a bitter streak.
This recipe started with Gabrielle Hamilton’s visit to La Campana in the Rome episode of The Mind of a Chef. Watching the restaurant prepare puntarelle, carefully cutting the hollow chicory shoots into thin strips, made me want to get my hands on some. I eventually found it at San Francisco’s Ferry Building farmers market. Television had successfully convinced me to buy a vegetable.
Puntarelle has a bitterness that can hold its own against garlic and anchovies, so I took mine in a Caesar direction with egg yolk, Dijon mustard, Parmesan, lemon, and red wine vinegar. Olive-oil-toasted breadcrumbs add crunch and catch the dressing between the thin strips.
The tool I actually used
The traditional tool is a tagliapuntarella (puntarelle cutter), which cuts the shoots into thin strips. You can find one on Etsy. I didn’t have one, but I did have a Japanese negi cutter, a tool for slicing green onions into fine strands. Another single-purpose gadget narrowly avoided entering my kitchen.
I used it to cut the puntarelle into long, thin strands, then dropped them into ice water, where they curled up.
Dry the greens before dressing them
I leave the sliced puntarelle in ice water while I make the dressing, then spin it and towel off any remaining moisture. Take the extra minute here. Water belongs in the ice bath, not diluting your Caesar dressing. Toss with a little dressing and breadcrumbs, taste, and add more only as needed.
How to serve
Toss just before serving so the greens stay crisp and the breadcrumbs keep their crunch. Serve as a starter or alongside one of the pasta recipes below.
How to store
For the best texture, keep the dried greens, dressing, and toasted breadcrumbs separate until serving. Refrigerate the greens and dressing promptly in covered containers; keep cooled breadcrumbs in an airtight container. Make the dressing on the day you plan to serve it. Use a pasteurized egg yolk for this uncooked dressing, as recommended by the FDA.
Puntarelle Caesar
Thin strands of bitter puntarelle tossed with a creamy anchovy-Parmesan Caesar dressing and olive-oil-toasted panko breadcrumbs.
Yield: 2 servings | Prep time: 5 minutes | Cook time: 3–4 minutes | Total time: 8–9 minutes | Category: Salads, Main Course, Side Dish | Cuisine: Italian-inspired | Method: Stovetop, Tossed Salad
Equipment
Japanese negi cutter or tagliapuntarella
Bowl of ice water
Small blender or food processor
Salad spinner and clean towel
Small pan and mixing bowl
For the salad
1 head puntarelle, Belgian endive, or curly endive
Parmesan cheese, to finish
Freshly ground black pepper, to finish
For the breadcrumbs
1 cup panko breadcrumbs
3 tablespoons olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
For the Caesar dressing
4 cloves garlic, peeled
4 anchovy fillets
1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
Toast the breadcrumbs. Heat the olive oil in a small pan over medium heat. Add the panko and toast, stirring, for 3–4 minutes until golden brown. Season with kosher salt and black pepper and remove from the heat.
Cut and soak the puntarelle. Cut the puntarelle into long, thin strands with a Japanese negi cutter or tagliapuntarella. Place in ice water and agitate to remove any dirt. Leave the strands in the ice water while you make the dressing.
Make the dressing. Blend all the Caesar dressing ingredients in a small blender or food processor until combined.
Dry the greens. Drain the puntarelle and use a salad spinner to remove the water. Transfer to a bowl and towel off any remaining moisture before dressing.
Toss and taste. Toss the dried puntarelle with some of the dressing and toasted breadcrumbs. Taste before adding more. Use as many breadcrumbs as you like.
Finish and serve. Finish with Parmesan cheese and freshly ground black pepper.
Notes
Breadcrumb quantity: The breadcrumb batch is for a two-serving salad. Add it to your preference; you do not need to use the whole batch.
Serving four: Double all the ingredients, including the breadcrumb batch: 2 cups panko and 6 tablespoons olive oil.
Round out the meal
Serve this bitter, crunchy salad alongside my Honeynut Squash Carbonara. The creamy pasta and sweet squash make a cozy main course, with the puntarelle bringing a sharp, crisp bite to the table. Some other Italian style pasta options include: