Known locally as pasticcio di radicchio, this traditional Italian chicory recipe is a meatless radicchio lasagna from Veneto, Northern Italy. Made with Italian chicory, lasagne sheets, shallots, béchamel and two kinds of cheese, this delicious dish comes together easily and tastes wonderful!
Pasticcio in Veneto.
Here in Veneto, Northern Italy, baked pasta dishes made with flat lasagne sheets are often called pasticcio. In fact, when I first came to live here, I found it rather confusing! What not lasagna or lasagne al forno?
However, most often these local versions of lasagna are quite simple. The star ingredient is a seasonal vegetable such as asparagus, mushrooms or, like this recipe, radicchio. Radicchio pasticcio is probably the most popular of these Venetian dishes, except perhaps in the spring when asparagus is in season.
Lasagne or pasticcio?
In reality, there seems to be some confusion between the terms ‘lasagne al forno’ and ‘pasticcio’ even among Italians. Lasagne al forno (also known as lasagna outside of Italy) originated from Bologna. Although the Neapolitans also claim the invention of lasagne al forno.
The lasagna from Bologna is the most well-known type of lasagna outside of Italy. It’s made with Bolognese sauce, lasagne sheets and bechamel. However, there are many lasagne al forno recipes made with other ingredients, like this poached salmon and asparagus lasagne al forno.
On the other hand, some Italians, especially in the South, use the name ‘pasticcio’ to refer to other types of baked pasta dishes. Interestingly, the word ‘pasticcio’ literally means ‘mess’!
I guess this is most probably due to the fact that the ingredients in a ‘pasticcio’ are not normally separated or layered (except in Veneto!). Everything is mixed together and baked in the oven. In Southern Italy, they often encase or cover a pasticcio with pastry. This type of baked pasta is also called a timballo.
Greek Pasticcio
The Greeks have a well-loved dish called pasticcio/pastitsio which is a pasta al forno with meat and sauce. In all likelihood, the Greek name came from the Veneto name. The old Republic of Venice ruled the Greek Ionian islands from the mid-14th century to the late 18th century. Interestingly, the Italian word ‘lasagna’ comes from the Greek word ‘laganon’.
Whether you think of this recipe as a pasticcio, a lasagna or a lasagne al forno, it’s a delicious vegetarian baked pasta recipe. It’s also pretty easy to make. The main ingredient, apart from the pasta sheets, is radicchio (Italian chicory).
All about Radicchio (Italian Chicory)
Radicchio is a leafy chicory which has been grown here in Italy since the 1600s. It’s very popular here in Veneto, as well as, Trentino and Friuli Venezia Giulia. There are different types of radicchio. Among the most common is ‘radicchio di Treviso’ which looks like Belgian endive. That’s the type I used for this radicchio pasticcio.
Also widely available here are ‘radicchio di Chioggia’ which is round and looks a bit like a purple cabbage and ‘Tardivo’ radicchio, which resembles flowers. Italians use a lot of radicchio in salads. But, they also cook it in risotto and with pasta, like in this radicchio pasticcio recipe or this farfalle pasta with radicchio and sausage.
Ingredients for radicchio lasagna.
Apart from the radicchio, this pasticcio contains just some shallots, a homemade béchamel, grated Parmigiano and another local cheese called taleggio.
Shallots: Shallots have been grown in Italy for 5,000 years! They are used in a lot of Italian dishes because they are softer and sweeter than onions. They pair well with radicchio as they off set its slightly bitter taste. You can use sweet onions instead if shallots aren’t available.
Béchamel sauce: I prefer to make my own béchamel sauce but you can use a ready-made white sauce to speed up preparation times.
Cheese: This radicchio pasticchio has two kinds of cheese. Grated Parmigiano or Grana and Talggio. Taleggio is a soft cow’s milk washed-rind cheese with an interesting, pungent and aromatic taste.
About Taleggio.
Taleggio is a very ancient cheese that originally comes from the Taleggio valley near Bergamo. Apparently, they first made it there in the 10th century!! Italians eat it on its own or use it in cooking.
It melts really well and is great in a risotto or with polenta. Instead of taleggio, which may be difficult to find outside of Italy, you can use brie, scamorza, robiola or fontina in your radicchio lasagna..
The pasta
I didn’t make my own lasagne sheets for this recipe. Instead, I bought ready-made fresh ones from Giovanni Rana. This company makes extra thin lasagne sheets, so you don’t need to precook them!
However, if you can’t find fresh pasta and don’t want to make your own, dried is fine. You will need to blanch the dry pasta sheets in boiling salted water before assembling your radicchio pasticcio. If you want to try your hand at homemade lasagna pasta, check out my recipe for making your own lasagne sheets.
Step by step instructions.
1) Gather and prepare your ingredients. Peel and slice the shallots and wash and chop the radicchio.
2) Sauté the shallots in olive oil in a deep frying pan until they start to soften. Add in the chopped radicchio and cook over a medium-low heat until the radicchio has reduced and softened.
3) If making your own, béchamel prepare it using flour, butter, milk and nutmeg. See instructions in the recipe card.
4) Add some béchamel and grated Parmigiano to the cooked radicchio and shallots. Mix everything together.
5) Spread a thin layer of béchamel over the bottom of a rectangular baking dish or lasagna pan. Place a layer of lasagna sheets on top.
6) Cover the lasagne sheets with some of the radicchio mixture and add some pieces of taleggio on top.
7) Place another layer of lasagne sheets, cover with the radicchio mixture and some taleggio pieces. Repeat twice more.
8) The last top layer of pasta sheets should be covered with just béchamel and grated Parmigiano or grana.
9) Bake in a pre-heated oven at 180°c (356°F) until the top is a golden brown and slightly crispy. Let your radicchio lasagna sit for 5 minutes before cutting and serving.
What to do with leftovers.
Leftover radicchio lasagna can be kept sealed in the fridge for 2-3 days and reheated in the oven with some more grated cheese and pieces of butter or a drizzle of oil on top.
Let me know what you think.
Since this radicchio pasticcio has only a few ingredients, it really doesn’t take long to prepare. To speed things up, you can use ready-made béchamel! However, despite it being easy, this vegetable lasagna is seriously delicious. Italians often serve it as a first course (primo piatto). However, it makes a nice one plate meal too.
If you make this radicchio pasticcio (Italian chicory lasagna) recipe, I’d love to hear how it turns out and if you liked it. So, please leave a comment here on the blog or on The Pasta Project Facebook page.
Looking forward to hearing from you!
Buon appetito!
Other radicchio recipes to check out here on The Pasta Project!
- Fettuccine with radicchio and speck.
- Busiate with radicchio pesto.
- Beetroot and radicchio pesto.
Save this recipe for later?
If you want to save this recipe for later, you can print it, bookmark this page or save it to Pinterest.
Like this recipe? Have a look at some more delicious traditional lasagna recipes.
Radicchio Pasticcio (Italian chicory lasagna)
A delicious traditional vegetable lasagna from Veneto, Northern Italy. Made with Italian chicory, pasta sheets, shallots, béchamel and cheese, This Venetian comes together easily and tastes wonderful!
Ingredients
- 9 ounces lasagne (lasagna) fresh or dried
- 2 shallots peeled and finely chopped
- 2 radicchio (Italian chicory) I used 2 Treviso radicchio but you can use the round one as well
- 7 ounces taleggio cheese or brie, fontina, robiola or scamorza
- 3 ounces Parmigano or Grana grated (strict vegetarians should use a vegetarian grating cheese)
- salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
- 3-4 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
For the béchamel (white sauce)
- 2.5 ounces butter
- 2.5 ounces all purpose flour
- 17 fluid ounces milk
- 1-2 pinch nutmeg grated
Instructions
-
Peel and finely chop the shallots. cut the taleggio cheese into cubes. Wash the radicchio and cut it into thin strips.
-
In a frying pan or iron skillet, heat the extra virgin olive oil. Cook the peeled and finely chopped shallots until they start to soften. Add the radicchio and cook for 10-15 minutes over a very gentle heat. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
Make the béchamel (white sauce)
-
Put the butter in a pan over a low heat, melt it, add the flour and mix until it forms a thick paste (roux). Then, remove it from the heat. At this point, slowly add the milk and stir continuously to dissolve the roux without making lumps. Put the pan on a moderate heat and keep stirring constantly until it starts to simmer and thicken.
-
Lower the flame. Wait a couple of minutes. Then, turn it off, add a pinch of salt, pepper and nutmeg, mix it again for a few minutes and then allow it to cool to thicken it further.
Finish the dish
-
Combine the radicchio, half the grated cheese and some of the béchamel sauce, mix well and, if necessary, add salt.
-
If using dried pasta you will need to bring a pot of boiling salted water to a boil and then blanch the pasta sheets individually. Place them spread apart on a tea towel. Don’t allow them to stick together.
-
Spread some bechamel over the bottom of a rectangualr oven dish. Cover it with a layer of pasta sheets. Then spread some of the béchamel and radicchio mix over the pasta. Distribute some of the Taleggio cheese pieces onto the radicchio sauce. Sprinkle a little Parmigiano or Grana Padano.
-
Then cover with another layer of lasagne. Continue until the ingredients have been used up, ending with a layer of pasta covered with béchamel. Sprinkle again with grated cheese. Bake at 180°c (356°F) degrees.
-
Cook for the first 10 minutes covered with aluminum foil and continue cooking for 10-15 minutes uncovered (until the cheese on top is golden). Remove from the oven, allow to cool slightly and serve.
Prevent your screen from going dark
Notes
Instead of taleggio, which may be difficult to find outside of Italy, you can use brie, scamorza, robiola or fontina.
NB Strict vegetarians should replace the parmigiano/grana with a vegetarian grating cheese as these contain animal rennet. Taleggio
Nutrition
Calories: 832kcalCarbohydrates: 70gProtein: 31gFat: 48gSaturated Fat: 26gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 14gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 107mgSodium: 1093mgPotassium: 418mgFiber: 3gSugar: 9gVitamin A: 1781IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 700mgIron: 2mg
Pin for Later.
Reader Interactions