Easy Italian Recipes

 MAKES 4 SERVINGS

- 2 oz (60 g) pancetta, chopped
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 dove garlic, lightly crushed
- 2-inch (5-cm) sprig fresh rosemary
- 2 cups (14 oz/440 g) cooked borlotti or cranberry beans
- Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
- I small head radicchio,
- about 1/4 lb (125 g), trimmed and cut crosswise into
- narrow strips
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf (Italian) parsley

This salad from the Veneto is a study in contrasts: warm, creamy, sweet-tasting beans against crisp, cool, lightly bitter radicchio and salty, crisp pancetta. Cannellini or other white kidney beans can be substituted for the borlotti beans. Serve the salad as an accompaniment to grilled tuna or roasted chicken.

In a saucepan large enough to hold the beans, cook the pancetta over medium heat, stirring often, until crisp, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the pancetta to paper towels to drain.

Add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil to the fat in the pan and warm over medium heat. Add the garlic and rosemary and sauté until the garlic is lightly golden, about 2 minutes. Stir in the beans and season with salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes to blend the flavors.

Remove the beans from the heat and remove and discard the rosemary and garlic. In a serving bowl, toss together the beans, radicchio, and reserved pancetta. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil and the lemon juice and toss again.
Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper, sprinkle with the parsley, and serve at once.

Buon appetito !