While researching different Italian preparations of escarole in recent weeks, we kept thinking healthy eating should always taste this delicious.
While some chefs prefer to use this leafy, slightly bitter green as a lining for salad bowls or as a garnish, the Italians know that with a little love this cousin of chicory can melt beautifully into a variety of dishes. Most traditional, though, is a hearty stew of white cannellini beans laced with garlic, olive oil and a little tomato sauce.
Others include escarole soup, Italian wedding soup, sauteed escarole, and escarole and beans with sausage, which is what we tried recently for lunch at Gioco (1312 S. Wabash Ave.; 312-939-3870). This hearty simple potage of beans and greens is cooked separately from the braised sweet Italian sausage and priced at $10. We were hoping for a crispier, seared sausage, but all in all the dish was a treat.
On the more traditional side, Buca de Beppo (various locations including 2941 N. Clark St.; 773-348-7673) serves up a signature huge portion of what they label “beans and greens” for $7.95. This side dish, full of garlic, tomato and tender beans, made a terrific take-out dinner for two when paired with some highly untraditional leftover basmati rice we found in our fridge and a nice shiraz wine.
But it should come as no surprise that the Chicago eatery that does escarole best is West Town’s La Scarola (721 W. Grand Ave.; 312-243-1740). There, they serve the restaurant’s namesake sauteed in garlic and olive oil, in an escarole soup and as an Italian wedding soup special on Thursdays with pastini and tiny meatballs in a chickeny broth.
But if you want to faint with delight, just try their escarole and beans appetizer ($6.95). The tender escarole swirls around plump cannellini beans and is bathed in heavenly, garlicky tomato sauce that gets a nice kick from a pinch of crushed red pepper. The intoxicating aroma drifting out of the take-out bag made it too much to resist on our ride home. It didn’t matter that we didn’t have a fork. The crusty hunk of bread that came with it made a fine makeshift scoop and soaked up plenty of flavor along the way.
Anyone who thinks a diet of greens, beans, tomatoes, olive oil and garlic means dull eating really needs to try this dish. We could happily and healthfully feast on it several times a week.