Spicy Braised Escarole

• Recipe by Andrew Carmellini

Chef Way Carmellini prepares this dish with homemade bread crumbs and hard-to-find Sicilian oregano.
Easy Way Top spicy greens with crispy panko (packaged Japanese bread crumbs) and a touch of supermarket oregano.

Ingredients

1. 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2. 1/4 pound thickly sliced soppressata, cut into 1/4-inch dice
3. 2 garlic cloves, minced
4. 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
5. 4 heads of escarole (2 1/2 pounds), dark outer leaves removed, inner leaves coarsely chopped
6. One 14-ounce can diced tomatoes
7. 1 tablespoon minced oregano
8. Salt and freshly ground pepper
9. 1/4 cup panko (Japanese bread crumbs)
10. 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. In a large soup pot, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil. Add the soppressata, garlic and crushed red pepper and cook over high heat, stirring, until the garlic is golden, about 2 minutes. Add the escarole in batches and cook. Add the tomatoes and oregano, season with salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Cook over low heat until the escarole is tender, 15 minutes; transfer to a bowl.
2. Meanwhile, in a small skillet, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the panko and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until golden, about 1 minute. Off the heat, stir in the Parmesan. Sprinkle the escarole with the Parmesan crumbs and serve.