Who’s a fan of chicories? Those hardy and bitter-flavored leafy vegetables.

Endive is not a vegetable that seems to garner much attention. It’s “low profile” is probably what initially drew me to this dish — in addition to my never-ending search for interesting flavors.

Endive belongs to the chicory genus and is a member of the daisy family, which includes Belgium endive, escarole, curly endive (aka frisée), radicchio, and puntarelle. Endive has a bitter taste, which I don’t mind, but for those of you who are less enthusiastic, fear not, the cooking process tames the bitterness and brings out its inherent sweetness.

I love when vegetables are the main dish. The star of the show.

I particularly like that the vegetable in this dish — endive — is treated in the same manner as meat in order to maximize flavor. That is, the endive is first seared in a hot skillet until nice and golden brown. Searing helps to create caramelization (the browning of sugars) resulting in a tastier plate of food.

Thereafter, the endive is covered in a thick and hearty tomato-sofrito-pancetta mixture and cooked slowly in the oven until deeply flavorful. And lastly, covered with cheese and toasted breadcrumbs for another layer of flavor.

I added a green chile because I always like a kick of heat, but you can omit it or substitute with a pinch of chile flakes to taste.

This dish has a decidedly homey feel. It requires just a bit of prep work — dicing the vegetables and pancetta, searing the endive, and then popping it in the oven for about an hour or so — and a little patience, as the aromas that permeate the kitchen will have you counting down the minutes.

Baked Endive with Tomatoes and Pancetta

Adapted from Domenica Marchetti’s Rustic Italian

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
6 heads Belgium endive, sliced in half, lengthwise
2 ounces pancetta, finely cubed
1 carrot, peeled and finely diced
1 celery stalk, finely diced
1 serrano chile, finely chopped (optional) or pinch of chile flakes
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup red wine
3/4 cup canned diced tomatoes
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
Fresh ground black pepper to taste
1/4 toasted bread crumbs
1/3 cup grated Pecorino
1/3 cup grated Parmesan

Preheat the oven to 350F. Oil a baking dish (large enough to accommodate the endive in a single layer).

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil and butter over medium heat. When the butter is melted and begins to sizzle, add half of the endive halves, cut side down. Brown 4 minutes and then turn over and brown on the other side for another 4 minutes. Transfer the endive, cut side up, to the baking dish. Repeat with the remainder of the endive.

Return the skillet to medium heat, add the pancetta, carrot, celery and serrano chile (if using) and sauté about 5 minutes, until the pancetta has rendered its fat, and the vegetables begin to soften.

Add the garlic and sauté another minute until the garlic releases its fragrance. Pour in the wine and cook about 2 minutes or until the wine has evaporated. Add the tomatoes and cook about 5 minutes. Taste and season with salt and pepper.

Pour the sauce over the endive. Cover with foil, place in the oven, and bake for 1 hour. Uncover, sprinkle with breadcrumbs and cheese, and bake for another 20 minutes until the cheese is golden brown.