Cicoria Ripassata in Padella alla Romana

Lazio — Rome and Lazio campagna

Blanched wild chicory (cicoria di campo) sautéed in olive oil with garlic and dried chilli — one of the essential side dishes of Roman cucina povera. The cicoria is first boiled until tender, then drained and pressed, and finally 'ripassata' (passed through the pan again) with generous olive oil, crushed garlic, and peperoncino. The double-cooking method mellows the bitterness of raw chicory while the final sauté concentrates flavour and adds richness. Served at room temperature as a contorno or as a topping for bruschetta.

• Both are blanched-then-dressed wild greens; horta is finished with lemon and oil rather than garlic sauté, but the double-process logic is identical → Horta vrasta Greek
• Garlic-sautéed greens (spinach or chard) as a side dish — same technique, different green → Espinacas con ajo Spanish
• Blanch-then-wok-fry logic for bitter or fibrous greens — technique is culturally parallel → Stir-fried water spinach with garlic Chinese

Pleasantly bitter, garlicky, olive-oil-rich; the quintessential Roman vegetable that pairs with everything from roast lamb to fried salt cod