A predominant side dish found all across Italy is a decadent grilled vegetable plate—a large platter of grilled eggplant, tomatoes, zucchini, onion, fennel, and radicchio, all with a drizzle of olive oil and a splash of aged balsamic vinegar.  Grilling this array of vegetables brings out the natural flavors of each vegetable—the sweetness of the onions, the meatiness of the eggplant, and the anise-flavor of the fennel all amplified when they come in contact with the heat of the grill.  The one vegetable on the platter that when served warm, was new to me was the grilled radicchio.

Radicchio, a bitter-tasting, leafy vegetable and member of the chicory family, is oftentimes seen in salads, soups, or in Italy, mixed into risotto for an added crunch and flavor enhancer.  Grilling the radicchio produced a tender wedge of slightly bitter leaves that really worked well with the sweet flavor of the balsamic vinegar and olive oil.  I decided to recreate this side dish at home—this time roasted in the oven with a touch of olive oil, seasoned with a touch of salt and pepper, and finished off with a drizzle of aged balsamic vinegar, crunchy pine nuts, and a garnish of Italian parsley for color.  A unique Italian side dish that takes no time at all to make, and whose flavor brightens up any dinner plate.

 

(To view the recipe, click on the blue title of the blog post above*)

Tagged: balsamic vinegar, chicory, grilled vegetables, Italian, Italy, pine nuts, radicchio, roasted vegetables, side dish