- 3 tablespoons California Olive Ranch extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
- 1/4 pound sliced pancetta or bacon, cut into 1-inch-wide strips
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 3 heads Chioggia or Treviso radicchio, cored and julienned
- 1 pound dried fettuccine or pappardelle
- Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese for serving
In a large skillet, heat the 3 tablespoons California Olive Ranch extra-virgin olive oil over medium-high heat.
Add the pancetta or bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low, add the onion,
and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring often, until the onion is soft, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the radicchio and cook,
stirring constantly, until wilted, about 3 minutes.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat and salt the water. Add the pasta and cook until al dente.
Scoop out and reserve about 1 cup of the pasta water and then drain the pasta.
Pour the pasta into the radicchio mixture, add a little of the pasta water, and stir and toss to incorporate, adding more pasta water as
needed to create a nice sauce consistency. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Transfer the pasta onto a warmed serving platter, drizzle with olive oil, and serve. Pass the cheese at the table.
Chef's Note: Here is a sophisticated, yet simple recipe from a story that appeared in Saveur magazine a decade ago.
Steven Wagner, an Italian-born radicchio enthusiast, has allowed us to use it here.
Recipe credit:
The San Francisco Ferry Plaza Farmers' Market Cookbook (Chronicle Books, 2006), by Peggy Knickerbocker and Christopher Hirsheimer.
Reprinted with permission from Chronicle Books.