Sautéed escarole with olive, raisins, pine nuts, and capers


Be honest—do you think of it as a “sexy” vegetable? Probably not, right? Well…I think escarole definitely has its charm, especially when you know how to bring out its best. With tender leaves, a slightly bitter flavor, and a versatility in both raw and cooked dishes, it’s an elegant and intriguing ingredient for any food lovers. Let me share with you one of my favorite ways to enjoy escarole— a staple on Neapolitan tables, especially during the winter months, when this tender green is in season.

My recipe for sautéed escarole, or scarola in padella, is a simple yet flavorful dish, where the tender greens are cooked with garlic, olive oil, capers, and raisins. The result is a delightful balance of savory and sweet flavors, and for an extra burst, you can add one or two anchovies. This dish brings together tradition and taste, all in one pan. Escarole is so versatile—it’s even used as a filling for la pizza di scarole, a delicious savory pie. I can’t wait for you to try this recipe—it might just become your new winter favorite!

Sautéed escarole with olive, raisins, pine nuts, and capers

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Sautéed escarole, or scarola in padella, is a simple yet flavorful dish, where the tender greens are cooked with garlic, capers, and raisins. It's a delightful mix of savory and sweet flavors, and if you like, you can add one or two anchovies.
This recipe brings together tradition and taste, all in one pan and the veggies are also used as a filling for a delicious savory pie that I've shared in the past with the cooking club. I can’t wait for you to try it—it just might become your new winter favorite!
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings 4 people

Equipment

  • Tall pot for boiling water
  • Hand held potato masher (optional)
  • Cutting board
  • Knife
  • Sauté pan

Ingredients

  • 1.5 kg escarole - about 2 large escarole
  • 150 g olives - Gaeta or Kalamata, pitted
  • 30 g capers preserved in salt - washed
  • 30 g pine nuts
  • 30 g raisins
  • 3 cloves of garlic - peeled and crushed
  • 5 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 anchovies - fillets (optional)
  • Salt to taste
When shopping for escarole, make sure they have a vibrant green color and no bruising or discoloration.
If you’re not able to find escarole, other endives or spinach could be substitutes. With spinach, it is not necessary to blanch before sauteeing. 

Instructions

Clean the escarole

  • Clean the escarole from any dirt before using. This is how:
    - Cut the head of each escarole in half. If your escarole is very large you can cut it in quarters. Discard the outer tough and discolored leaves.
    - Place each piece of the cut escarole under running water, making sure all the dirt in between the leaves is washed out.

Boil and cut the escarole

  • Fill a tall pot with water, and bring it to a boil. Once water is boiling, add the escarole to the pot, bottom down and top up. When the water comes to a boil again, blanch the escarole for about 3-4 minutes or until the outer leaves are tender. Then remove the escarole from water, draining well in a colander.
    To squeeze out the excess of water from the escarole, you can press the escarole in the colander using a hand held potato masher.
  • On a cutting board, chop the blanched escarole: discard the bottom and cut the halves crosswise in strips. Set aside.

Make the sauté and cook escarole

  • Coarsely chop the capers and olives if desired. In a big sauté pan, add extra virgin olive oil, pine nuts, raisins, capers, olives, garlic cloves and anchovies if using. Turn the heat to medium and sauté all the ingredients, stirring from time to time to prevent them from burning. The sauté is done when garlic is softened and raisins are caramelized. Just make sure not to burn the garlic.
  • Add the chopped escarole to the sauté and cook everything for about 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. When all the flavors are well combined, turn the heat off and add salt to taste.
  • Serve the escarole warm or at room temperature.

Notes

  • This is a great dish to prepare in advance. You make the veggies and then store in the fridge for 2-3 days.
  • Escarole looks like lettuce, but actually it belongs to the endive family, like radicchio. That’s why escarole has a slightly bitter-sweet flavor.
    The outside leaves that have a darker green color are tougher with the bitter flavor. The inner leaves have a pale green/yellow color and are more tender with a milder taste. You can use the central, tender leaves raw in a salad.
  • In Italy, there are two types of escarole: LISCIA, with wavy leaves and RICCIA with curly leaves. The one with curly leaves is usually used in salad and mixed with a pesto made with garlic and anchovies.
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