Puntarelle with Black Olives in Oil

80% Puntarelle with Itrana Black Olives, in Extra Virgin Olive Oil – Gluten-Free

The most Roman side dish there is, ready in a jar

Puntarelle with Black Olives from the Leoni Enzo Agricultural Company

Eighty percent puntarelle, ten percent Itrana black olives, and extra virgin olive oil to finish: a simple recipe that combines two symbols of Lazio. The puntarelle retain their crunchy texture and distinctive bitterness, while the ripe Itrane olives add sweetness and roundness, smoothing out the bitterness without eliminating it. Vinegar and salt complement, and the oil ties it all together. This ready-to-use pickled vegetable solves a practical problem: fresh puntarelle require time and patience, but this jar doesn't.
 
 
 

The roots of this vegetable sink into a basin of ice water

Puntarelle are the inner shoots of the chicory, and in Rome they are a winter institution. Their traditional preparation is one of the most laborious rituals of Roman cuisine: each shoot must be opened, cut into very thin strips lengthwise, and immersed in ice water, where through osmosis they curl up into that familiar sea urchin shape. The cold water also does a second job, toning down the bitterness. It's such a time-consuming process that a special craft has developed in Roman markets: puntarellaro, the stall that sells them pre-sliced, using the special wire grid tool. Then comes the dressing, the classic one with garlic, vinegar, and anchovies dissolved in oil. This jar takes a different approach, that of preserving in oil, but it's based on the same idea: a bitter vegetable that demands acidity and fat to be at its best.
 
 
 

Choosing Puntarelle with Black Olives means taking care of yourself

Puntarelle belong to the chicory family, bitter vegetables that the Mediterranean tradition has always valued and which provide fibre, potassium, folates and the bitter compounds typical of the genus cichoriumOlives add mostly monounsaturated fats, the same as the extra virgin olive oil used as a preservative: this jar contains no seed oils. There are no sugars, no cholesterol, and only 0,6 g of salt per 100 g, a modest amount for an oil-preserved product. Since it's preserved in oil, it's flavorful and should be used sparingly: a few tablespoons is the perfect serving.
 
 
 

Best Use: Puntarelle with Black Olives

• AS A READY-MADE SIDE DISH: serve them at room temperature with their oil, alongside a second course of meat or fish; to get closer to the flavour of the classic Roman version, add a few drops of Colatura di Alici di Cetara when it's time to bring them to the table.
• ON CROUTONS AND ON THE CHOPPING BOARD: excellent on toasted bread, perhaps with a layer of Black Itrana Olive Cream from the same manufacturer, or on the cutting board next to flakes of Extra Mature Falisco Pecorino.
• TO SEASON PASTA AND SINGLE DISHES: just heated in their oil, they season Rigatoni Senatore Cappelli® Organic with a little cooking water; also excellent in an omelette or a savory pie, where the bitterness balances the richness of the eggs.

The Producer: Leoni Enzo Agricultural Company

In Sonnino, in southern Lazio, the Leoni Enzo Agricultural Enterprise processes the Itrana olive in all its forms—in brine, in oil, dried, and creamed—and prepares traditional peasant preserves, from baby artichokes to chiacchietegli, alongside a rare collection of jams made from ancient fruits.
 
 
 

Ingredients

Puntarelle 80%, Itrana black olives 10%, extra virgin olive oil 10%, salt, vinegar.
 
 
 

Nutritional Values ​​(average values ​​per 100g of product)

• Energy: 1061 kJ / 254 kcal
• Fat: 29,8 g
• of which saturated: 4,7 g
• Carbohydrates: 4,4 g
• of which sugars: 0 g
• Protein: 2,2 g
• Salt: 0,6 g
• Cholesterol: 0 mg

Food container

Store the jar tightly closed in a cool, dry place, away from light. After opening, refrigerate, keeping the vegetables completely covered with the oil and scooping them out with a clean fork; consume within a few days. Extra virgin olive oil may cloud or thicken at low temperatures; this is natural; simply let the jar sit at room temperature for a few minutes before serving. Leftover oil is excellent for seasoning vegetables or pasta.
 
 
 

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