Bringing out a bit of radicchio’s sweetness
At our house, pasta of some sort is on the menu at least once a week. I would say it is among my favorite foods — easy to prepare, fun to eat and unbelievably versatile.
Pasta can lean in so many directions. Depending on a cook’s mood or inclination, it may be a complex endeavor or a casual no-nonsense affair. If time is short or shopping is not a possibility, it can be very simple indeed, quick to assemble and on the table in a jiffy.
In fact, sometimes the most elemental pasta dishes are the most satisfying. I never tire of spaghetti dressed in a sauce of olive oil, garlic and flaked red pepper, sizzled briefly, with or without a bit of anchovy. Linguine tossed with a quickly made plain tomato sauce is sheer comfort food.
Of course, I’m talking here about dried pasta, the kind that comes in every imaginable shape and size. (Fresh egg pasta is another story altogether.) With dried pasta in the pantry, one never goes hungry. The variations are endlessly interesting.
I usually like my pasta to be vegetable heavy, perhaps with just a bit of prosciutto or bacon. I want it to be a reflection of the season: peas and asparagus in the springtime; zucchini and green beans all summer long; saucy mushrooms in the fall.
In cold weather, my pastas often feature the radicchio family. Though radicchio and its chicory siblings are wonderful used raw in salads, they’re especially fine cooked and paired with pasta. The thing to watch out for, however, is that cooking radicchio can sometimes emphasize its innate bitterness.
I find that a char under the boiler or grilling shows off radicchio’s pleasantly bitter flavor to its best advantage. Enhanced and tamed with the sweetness of ricotta and toasted pecans, and paired with bacon and pecorino, the bitterness recedes.
Large, chewy tubular pastas, like rigatoni, ziti or paccheri, are the best choice for this hearty dish.
Use round radicchio di Chioggia (the most commonly available), long radicchio di Treviso or curly-fingered radicchio Tardivo. They all sport beautiful red and burgundy leaves. The color fades when they hit the heat, but for the sake of a stellar pasta, that’s a small sacrifice.
Pasta with radicchio, bacon and pecans Yield: Total time: Ingredients:
6 servings 40 minutes
4 ounces smoked bacon, cut into 1/4-inch lardons (about 4 strips) 1 pound radicchio di Chioggia, radicchio di Treviso or radicchio Tardivo
Extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 pound rigatoni or other short, tubular dried pasta
1 teaspoon roughly chopped rosemary
Pinch of red-pepper flakes 8 ounces ricotta (about 1 cup) 4 ounces toasted pecans (about 1 scant cup)
4 ounces grated pecorino (about 1 cup)
Preparation: 1.
Heat the broiler. Put a large pot of water on the stove, bring to a boil, then turn to a simmer so it is ready for cooking pasta.
As water boils, put 2 cups water in a small saucepan over medium-high heat and bring to a simmer. Add bacon lardons, and blanch for 1 minute, then drain and set aside.
Cut radicchio into 1-inch wide ribbons and spread out on a
2. 3.
parchment-lined baking sheet.
(If using Tardivo, just cut off bottom of bunch to free the slender leaves.) Drizzle 3 tablespoons olive oil evenly over radicchio and season generously with salt and pepper.
Broil radicchio close to the heat source so it chars. Cook for about 5 minutes, until warmed through, but not wilted. Remove and let cool slightly, then chop crosswise into rough 1-inch pieces.
Salt the pasta water and bring to a hard boil. Add rigatoni and cook until al dente, usually 11 to 15 minutes, depending upon the brand.
While pasta is cooking, put 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large wide skillet over medium-high heat. Add bacon and cook until crisp and lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Turn off heat and add rosemary and red pepper.
Drain pasta (reserve 1 cup pasta cooking water) and add to skillet. Add reserved radicchio and ricotta and toss to incorporate.
Transfer pasta to a warmed deep serving platter or individual bowls. Sprinkle pecans over surface and top with a dusting of pecorino. Serve immediately and pass remaining cheese at table.
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