Closely related in flavor and spirit to the classic French pissenlit (dandelion greens with bacon), this differs in that the greens are cooked from the start. Also, though it may be finished with lemon, vinegar is almost never used. Other vegetables you can prepare this way: any relatively tender, bitter green—curly endive, escarole, dandelion, even Belgian endive, cut crosswise.

　　

Ingredients

makes 4 servings

　　2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

　　1/4 pound slab bacon, cut into 1/4- to 1/2-inch chunks

　　1 pound radicchio, roughly chopped

　　Salt and black pepper to taste

　　Lemon wedges for serving, optional

　　

Step 1

Put the olive oil in a large skillet, preferably nonstick, over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, until crisp, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside for the moment.

　　

Step 2

Reduce the heat to medium, add the radicchio, and cook, stirring occasionally, until it wilts and becomes tender, about 10 minutes. Add some pepper and salt if necessary, then return the bacon to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until the bacon reheats. Serve hot or at room temperature, with the lemon wedges if you like.

　　The Best Recipes in the World by Mark Bittman. © 2005 by Mark Bittman. Published by Broadway Books. All Rights Reserved.MARK BITTMAN is the author of the blockbuster The Best Recipes in the World (Broadway, 2005) and the classic bestseller How to Cook Everything, which has sold more than one million copies. He is also the coauthor, with Jean-Georges Vongerichten, of Simple to Spectacular and Jean-Georges: Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef. Mr. Bittman is a prolific writer, makes frequent appearances on radio and television, and is the host of The Best Recipes in the World, a 13-part series on public television. He lives in New York and Connecticut.