Bitter Bites, Bold Flavors: Four Italian Recipes to Savor the Season 🥬

Seasonal Italian Cooking with a Bitter Twist

After my recent newsletter about Cynar and Italy’s love for all things bitter, I was delighted to hear from so many of you who shared your own bitter favorites—and asked how to bring those bold flavors into the kitchen. That’s the inspiration behind this week’s newsletter. I’m diving into four of Italy’s most iconic bitter ingredients—puntarelle, radicchio, arugula (rucola), and broccoli rabe—with everything you need to know about how they’re grown, where you’ll find them in Italy, and how they’ve been used in Italian cooking for generations. And of course, I’m sharing four of my recipes that celebrate these beloved vegetables in delicious, seasonal dishes.
Note: You can click on the recipe links for printable versions of the recipes.

Puntarelle at the market

Puntarelle: Rome’s Curly Chicory