Puntarelle alla Romana Italian Chicory Salad

This Puntarelle alla Romana recipe is a classic Roman winter salad. It is made from a member of the chicory family called Cicoria Catalogna. The chicory is crunchy and a little bitter. It is cut very thin, and the traditional dressing is made with extra virgin olive oil, garlic, anchovies, and vinegar.

Jump to:

• Ingredients
• How to clean them
• How to make them curly
• What is an anchovy vinaigrette
• How to serve them
• Variation and substitution
• Where to find them
• Vegetable Recipes
• 📋Puntarelle alla Romana

Only the shoots inside the vegetable are used to make this Puntarelle salad.

The name Puntarelle means small pointed tips; its shoots are long and straight, resembling white asparagus.

Crunchy, tender, and slightly bitter, they are eaten raw.

The Puntarelle are seasoned with an anchovy vinaigrette; it perfectly contrasts their slightly bitter taste.

They are usually in season from February to Early Spring, but you can find them as early as October.

When you buy them, ensure they are fresh and that the outside leaves are solid and green.

You can check orange fennel salad or raw artichokes salad for more unusual Italian salad recipes.

Other Italian winter vegetables you may like are Agretti, Friarielli, broccoli rabe and Romanesco cabbage.

There are two main types of Puntarelle:

You can use either type to make this salad; however, the Puntarelle di Gaeta are the original for this recipe.

The main difference between the two is the length of the shoots. Taste and texture are the same.

Because the Puntarella di Gaeta are long, they will curl in cold water, while the Puntarelle di Galatina are too short and remain straight.

If you cannot find this delicious vegetable, you can make this salad with Endive Escarole.

Ingredients

Besides the Puntarelle, you will need the ingredients for the anchovy vinaigrette:

• Anchovy fillets stored in salt: I prefer the anchovies stored in salt to the ones stored in olive oil, as you never know what quality of olive oil has been used.
• Clove of garlic: always use fresh garlic, not garlic powder
• White wine vinegar: you can replace it with apple vinegar, but do not use red wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar as their flavor will be too strong
• Good quality extra-virgin olive oil
• Salt: because the anchovies are salted, you usually don't need to add salt. Taste and add a pinch of salt only if necessary

See the recipe card for the quantity.

How to clean them

To clean them, remove the outer leaves

Hint: You can use the outside leaves for minestrone or soup.

Hint: these will not curl; they are too short. You need the longer Puntarelle Romane

How to make them curly

If you are using the Puntarelle di Gaeta from Lazio, here is how to make them curl:

In Rome, we use a specific tool called "taglia puntarelle". You can find it on the European amazon. It is helpful but not necessary.

It has a wired metal frame that forms small squares. We push the puntarelle through the frame to cut them into spaghetti size.

As a substitution, you can use a vegetable chopper.

This is how we use it.

Hint: If you do not have a puntarelle cutter, you can cut them with a knife.

What is an anchovy vinaigrette

Anchovies vinaigrette is a tangy and savory dressing made primarily with anchovies, vinegar, oil, and various seasonings.

I prefer to use the anchovies stored in salt, so I rinse the anchovies under running water to eliminate the salt and remove the bone and fins from the anchovy fillets.

It is very easy to make:

How to serve them

In Italy, this is how they are served:

• As a Starter, Serve on small plates with a side of crunchy, toasted bread. The crisp salad paired with warm, crusty bread makes a refreshing and appetizing beginning to any meal.
• As a Side Dish: Perfect alongside main courses like Vitello Tonnato, roast beef, Veal Milanese, fish, or Arrosticini. Its crisp texture and tangy dressing cut through the richness of meats or complement the delicacy of fish, balancing the flavors of the meal.

Variation and substitution

I prefer to use anchovies preserved in salt rather than oil because I like to add my own extra virgin olive oil. Who knows what the quality of their oil is?

This delicious dressing has a lovely garlicky, umami, salty flavor. It can be used as a dressing for any other salad.

You can substitute the anchovies with Bottarga, cured salted mullet roe to make a more refined dish.

A classic Italian recipe with bottarga is spaghetti with bottarga di muggine.

Where to find them

Puntarelle are grown around Rome, in Puglia, and other areas of the South of Italy.

Earlier it was a very localized dish, but now you can find them in many more farmer markets, even in the North of Italy.

They are not easy to find here in France; I have to go to the farmer's market in Ventimiglia or a specialized Italian market on the Riviera.

If they don’t sell them at the grocery store in your country, you can replace them with Endives Escarole.

Other Italian winter vegetables you do not want to miss are Agretti, Friarielli, broccoli rabe and Romanesco cabbage.

Exploring Roman Recipes

Rome's culinary heritage is rich and diverse, offering an array of traditional dishes that highlight the simplicity and depth of Italian cuisine.

Gnocchi alla Romana are semolina-based dumplings baked to a golden finish.

Porchetta Romana is a savory, herb-stuffed roasted pork with garlic, rosemary, and fennel, slow-roasted for a crispy skin and tender meat.

Carciofi alla Romana are artichokes cooked in olive oil with garlic and herbs.

Romanesco broccolo baked is a savory muffin with the florets as topping.

Romanesco broccolo soup is a creamy, blended vegetable soup.

Pizza Bianca Romana is a light, airy white pizza topped with olive oil, salt, and rosemary, sometimes with mozzarella.

For dessert, try maritozzo or polenta cake, but avoid gelato. Compared to the Sicilian version, gelato in Rome is best skipped.

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