Roasting is my go-to method for cooking veggies — so why should a head of escarole be any different? I got the idea for roasting these greens from Deborah Madison’s Local Flavors: Cooking and Eating From America’s Farmers’ Markets. In her version, she uses a head of radicchio but any chicory will do. Roasting mellows out the bitterness and also adds some nice crunchy bits. 

Here’s what I gathered to serve four people as a side dish:

• 1 large head of escarole, cut into quarters (or 3 heads of radicchio, cut in half lengthwise)
• 3 tablespoons of ghee, melted
• 1 tablespoon Sunny Paris seasoning
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground pepper
• Balsamic vinegar

Here’s how I made it:

I preheated the oven to 400 F and grabbed a 9x13” glass baking dish. I coated the dish with ghee before putting the escarole in a single layer. I drizzled the remaining ghee over the top of the greens and seasoned with Sunny Paris, salt, and pepper.

I roasted the greens in the oven for 15 minutes before flipping them. After an additional 8-10 minutes, the escarole was finished — tender yet crunchy on the edges.

Before taking the dish to the table, I drizzled on some aged balsamic vinegar.

I can’t wait to roast some radicchio, too!