SERVES 6

Marcella Hazan schooled us in the making of this dish in her Venetian kitchen, after first taking us to the Rialto market to find some beautiful late-season radicchio from the city of Treviso—just one of many radicchio varieties sold in the market.

5 thick heads radicchio tardivo di treviso
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4–6 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

1. Preheat oven to 400°. Discard any bruised or wilted outer leaves from radicchio heads and cut off discolored stem ends. Wash under cold running water and shake off moisture.

2. Cut each head of radicchio in half lengthwise, then make a V-cut in the root end, cutting half as deep as the root is thick and running the cut from the bottom to the point where the leaves join the root.

3. Arrange radicchio halves cut side up in a baking pan, overlapping if necessary. Season generously with salt and pepper and drizzle with 4 tbsp. of the oil. Bake for about 12 minutes, then turn radicchio over. Bake for another 8 minutes, then turn radicchio again so that the cut side is facing up. Drizzle with remaining 2 tbsp. oil if necessary, and bake until the root end is tender when pierced with a knife, about 2 minutes more. Serve hot or warm.