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Puntarelle alla romana

Ingredients

  • 1 head of puntarelle

For the garlic and anchovy dressing:

  • 250 ml 1 cup best quality extra virgin olive oil
  • 50 g 2 oz anchovy fillets
  • 3-4 garlic cloves peeled and minced
  • 100 ml 1/4 cup wine vinegar
  • Salt and pepper

Instructions

Prep your puntarelle

  • Start by removing the large outer leaves from the head.
  • A head of puntarelle with a tagliapuntarelle bottom right
  • You will be left with an inner core of rather thick shoots—they look a bit like short, plump asparagus—and a few very slender leaves:
  • Cut off the tough base of this core and separate the shoots. Then push each shoot through the puntarelle cutter so as to produce little julienne strips. Or use a paring knife.
  • As you julienne the stalks, place them in a large bowl of ice water, along with the slender leaves. And when you're done, add more ice and let the puntarelle soak in the fridge for at least one hour.
  • After soaking, drain the puntarelle and pat them very dry.

Make the garlic and anchovy dressing

  • Place the garlic cloves in a mortar and grind them into a fine paste, then add the anchovy fillets and grind them, too, but not as fine.
  • Add the olive oil and then the vinegar, then mix well with a fork or whisk.
  • Finally, season with a bit of salt and freshly ground pepper.

Assemble your salad

  • Place a handful of puntarelle on a salad plate or in a shallow bowl.
  • Drizzle over dressing and serve immediately.

Notes

The puntarelle shoots can also be julienned with a paring knife, in which case trim off the solid base and cut the hollow tips with your knife.