Shelly's Recipe

ESCAROLE CALABRESE

Category: Casseroles - Pork

1 head escarole
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
3 garlic cloves thinly sliced
1 cup spicy sopressata or other dried Italian sausage, roughly chopped
1 small onion roughly chopped, about 1/2 cup
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, more or less depending on how spicy sausage is
2 cups good quality Italian plum tomatoes, drained
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon coarse ground pepper
2 tablespoons grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1 tablespoon bread crumbs

Wash escarole, removing any brown leaves. Cut off the stem 2 inches from bottom, then cut into thirds widthwise.

Heat olive oil over medium heat in large pot, add garlic and toast it, but do not let it brown.

Add the sausage and onion and cook together so oil from sausage mixes with onions. Add pepper flakes and tomatoes and cook about 5 minutes, crushing tomatoes with spoon until they break apart.

Add escarole and stir all ingredients together. Cook until escarole wilts down and mix it with tomato mixture. (The volume will shrink a good deal). Keep cooking until escarole is soft and dark green, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Season with salt and pepper, remove to a large bowl and top it with cheese and bread crumbs. Drizzle a little olive oil on top and serve. Serves 4-6