When it comes to delicious and easy side dishes, Sauteed Escarole with Garlic and Oil is at the top of the list. This simple side comes together in no time and is great to serve with your favorite Italian main courses.
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A Sunday dinner staple
Escarole with garlic and oil is a dish I grew up eating and have always loved. This dish showed up nearly every Sunday with meatballs and sauce, and other times during the week alongside chicken cutlets and other main courses. I still make this dish for my own family and it always gets rave reviews.
Escarole is a somewhat bitter green, though it’s much less bitter than other greens making it a great alternative to those who don’t love broccoli rabe with garlic and oil.
Recipe Ingredients
All ingredients for this recipe are shown in the pic below and special notes are made in this bulleted list to assist you.
- Escarole. Look for escarole in the produce aisle. You may need to look closely as it’s often mistaken for lettuce. While it looks similar to a head of lettuce, escarole is a member of the chicory family.
- Garlic. Use fresh garlic for best results here. Use as much or as little as you’d like. I love a lot!
- Olive oil. Use extra virgin olive oil when sauteeing the escarole with garlic, and feel free to drizzle a little more right before serving.
- Red pepper flakes. I add these for a little heat, but feel free to omit if you don’t like spice.
- Lemon. I like to serve this dish with some lemon wedges. The acidity complements the flavor of the escarole.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
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How to make Italian escarole with garlic
Each number corresponds to the numbered written steps below.
- Wash and chop the escarole.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to boil and add the escarole. Allow it to cook for 3 minutes then strain in a colander.
- Heat a large pan over a touch less than medium heat with the olive oil. Add the garlic and cook until very golden and soft but not burnt, about 5-7 minutes. Add the hot red pepper flakes and cook for another 30 seconds.
- Turn the heat to medium, add the escarole and saute until soft and tender and most of the liquid evaporates. Remove the pan from the heat and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve in a platter with lemon wedges on the side.
Top tips
- Cleaning the escarole. Escarole is often very dirty/gritty so be sure to wash it very well before using it. My grandma would always fill the clean sink with water and give the escarole a good swim in it while using her hands to agitate it a bit. You can also use a salad spinner to make it a little easier.
- Browning the garlic. Have you ever ordered escarole or other green sides from an Italian restaurant and wondered how they achieve the perfect golden garlic? The trick is to saute the cloves over heat that’s just a touch less than medium, allowing them to cook slowly and develop that beautiful golden color. The cloves become soft and are delicious.
More easy green sides
Here are a few more of my favorite sides that are also sauteed with garlic and oil.
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Escarole with Garlic and Oil – Easy Italian Side
Ingredients
- 1 large head of escarole washed and chopped
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 12 cloves garlic larger cloves halved, smaller left whole
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed hot red pepper flakes
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 lemon cut into wedges, for serving
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Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add the escarole and cook for 3 minutes then strain in a colander.
- Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large pan to a touch less than medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until the pieces get very golden but not burnt (about 5-7 minutes). Add the hot red pepper flakes to the pan and cook for 30 seconds more.
- Turn the heat to medium and add the escarole. Saute until the escarole is soft and tender (about 5-7 minutes) and the liquid has mostly evaporated.
- Remove the pan from the heat and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve in a platter with lemon wedges on the side. Enjoy!
Notes
- Escarole. I used a very large head, use 2 heads if they are on the smaller side. Escarole often has a fair amount of dirt and needs thorough washing. Soaking the escarole in a large bowl of water and changing the water a few times (the dirt sinks to the bottom) works, but a salad spinner is a great way too.
- Garlic. I love to use larger pieces of garlic or whole cloves, but feel free to slice the garlic if you like. Take your time to cook the cloves over a touch less than medium heat so that the cloves soften but don’t burn.
- Salt. Dark green vegetables such as escarole improve with a good amount of salt, but salt according to your preference.
- Leftovers. Escarole with garlic and oil can be saved in the fridge for up to 3 days and can be reheated in a microwave.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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