Radicchio pasticcio (Italian chicory lasagna)

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-14^th century to the late 18^th 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 10^th 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!

1. Fettuccine with radicchio and speck.
2. Busiate with radicchio pesto.
3. Beetroot and radicchio pesto.

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