If you’ve never spent time in Utica, New York, there’s a solid chance you’ve never heard of these — and that’s a shame, because this is one of those dishes that’s been quietly perfected in Italian-American kitchens for generations without ever really breaking out nationally.
Utica Greens are a fixture in the city, the kind of thing you’ll find on menus across town and just as often simmering on a home stove. It’s a big enough deal locally that the Utica Music and Arts Festival runs a yearly showcase where different restaurants put out their own take on it. Some versions throw in fried potatoes, some add sausage balls, or even swap the greens for Swiss chard, spinach, or broccoli rabe. But the version that started it all — and the one that’s still considered the standard — leans heavily on escarole. It is bitter, sturdy, and has a bite that holds up under heat instead of wilting into mush.
It’s a genuinely flexible dish, too. You can set it out as an appetizer with thick slices of crusty Italian bread for scooping. You can pile it on top of grilled sausage or a breaded veal cutlet for a sandwich that punches well above its weight. Or just serve it alongside roasted meat or a pasta dinner, where it does the job of a vegetable side while tasting like it’s doing a lot more than that.
What You’ll Need
The greens and aromatics:
- 1.5 lbs. fresh escarole, trimmed and washed thoroughly
- 2 teaspoons garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 2 oz. sliced prosciutto (about 4 strips), chopped
- 1/4 cup good olive oil
- 4–5 pickled hot cherry peppers or peperoncini, seeded and sliced
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
The topping:
- 2 tablespoons plain dry breadcrumbs
- 1/2 cup Pecorino Romano, freshly grated
How to Put It Together
1. Blanch the escarole
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, drop in the trimmed leaves, and let it come back up to a boil before cooking for about 5 minutes — you want it fully wilted, not just softened. Drain it well, pressing out as much water as you can, and set it aside. Excess water here will water down the whole dish later, so don’t rush this step.
2. Sauté the aromatics
While that’s draining, get a large broiler-safe skillet going over moderate heat with the olive oil, sliced garlic, and chopped prosciutto. About 3 minutes is usually enough — you’re waiting for the garlic to turn fragrant and the prosciutto to crisp up and go golden at the edges.
3. Toss the greens
Add the drained escarole straight into that skillet along with the sliced pickled peppers. Toss it all together so everything’s coated in that garlicky, prosciutto-flecked oil, season with salt and pepper, then spread it into an even layer across the pan and take it off the heat.
4. Add the topping and broil
Move your oven rack to about 5 inches from the broiler and get it heating. In a small bowl, stir together the breadcrumbs and grated Pecorino Romano, then scatter that mixture evenly over the top of the greens.
Slide the skillet under the broiler and don’t walk away — 3 to 5 minutes is usually all it takes for that breadcrumb-cheese layer to bubble and turn a deep golden brown. Broilers can be unpredictable, so keep watching it rather than trusting a timer.
To Serve
Serve it hot, straight from the skillet if you can manage it. This recipe makes 4 to 6 sides.