TABELIAAUTHENTIC RECIPE
Salsicce e FriarielliSausages with Friarielli
An emblematic Neapolitan pairing: the bitterness of flowering greens or broccoli rabe meets the sweet fat of pork sausages. It invariably appears as a side dish in Neapolitan pizzerias too. Whether to briefly blanch the greens to reduce bitterness is a matter of personal preference.
AUTHENTICITY SCORE
Authenticity Score
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Ingredients (4 servings)
- Neapolitan pork sausageFresh sausage. Fennel-seasoned is authentic.500 g
- Nanohana (Japanese flowering greens) or broccoli rabeRemove tough lower stems. Use leaves, flower buds and tender stems.600 g
- GarlicThinly slice or crush.3 cloves
- Red chili2 pieces
- Extra virgin olive oil50 ml
Method
Prepare garlic and greens
- 1 Thinly slice or crush 3 garlic cloves.
- 2 Boil 600 g flowering greens in salted water for 2 minutes and squeeze dry.
Ready when
Continue when the greens have reduced in volume and are drained after a gentle squeeze.
Tips
If you enjoy bitterness, omit blanching the greens.
Brown the sausages
- 1 Prick 500 g sausages in several places with a fork.
- 2 Heat 50 ml olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat and brown the sausages all over for about 8 minutes, then remove.
Ready when
Continue when golden all over; they need not yet be fully cooked inside.
Sauté the greens
- 1 Leave a little oil in the same pan, add the garlic and 2 chilies and place over low heat.
- 2 When the garlic is lightly colored, add the greens and sauté over medium heat for 3 minutes.
Ready when
Continue when all the greens are coated in oil.
Return sausages and finish
- 1 Return the sausages to the pan and combine with the greens.
- 2 Cover and cook for 3 minutes.
- 3 Season with salt.
Ready when
Ready when the sausages are completely cooked.
About this dish
In Naples, everyone knows the pairing of salsiccia e friarielli. Friarielli is a name of Calabrian origin used only around Naples. Elsewhere on the mainland the same plant is called cime di rapa or broccoletti. Its bitter leaves and flower buds combine with sweet pork-sausage fat to create what Neapolitans consider a perfect match.
Whether to blanch the greens briefly is an individual choice. Blanching softens bitterness, while skipping it leaves a stronger bitter character. Traditional Neapolitan methods often sauté directly without boiling, but there is no absolute standard of which result is correct. Whether bitterness is removed as a defect or embraced as a feature reveals one’s approach to cooking.
Neapolitan pizzerias commonly use sausage and friarielli as pizza toppings too. The same pairing across a dish and a pizza shows the unity of Neapolitan food culture.
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