Recipe 47 from The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook by Deb Perelman
WW Note: This delightful dish is 6 points per 2 slices of bread you enjoy (or do the math for the bread you choose and that will be the basis for your points). If you’re going more carb free then you really only need to count the olive oil you use if you do that (1/4 cup = 17 points). I don’t count olive oil when I cook with it because it’s a healthy fat but if you do that changes this guy a bit. I enjoyed 2 slices of thinner garlic bread for 6 points and then I added 2 points for any extra pieces of bread I ate. It’s worth all the points because this guy is yummy with or without the bread! And becomes a quick 0 point meal if you next the bread and olive oil for free :)
I’m such a fan of this recipe. Deb talks it up quite a bit with very strict instructions about gobbling up the juices from the roasting pan and drizzling it over your finished dish and I followed it to the T and it didn’t disappoint!
The ingredient list is shorter on this one and not too pricy for those on a budget depending on how much your onions cost you. There’s something delectable about eating a whole tiny onion in one bite but boy do you have to work for that deliciousness!
This is a time consuming recipe for only one reason and that is peeling each of those silly little Cipollini onions. I was not prepared for all the steps it took and felt greatful I started dinner early this day or I would have been about an hour later then my planned dinner time. I wish I was kidding.
Between the boiling…
Blanching….
And tedious peeling, the onion prep easily took me 30 to 45 minutes from top to bottom. I had to sit down with all my bowls at one point because my feet and back needed a break!
Now don’t get me wrong, the onions were worth it but if you’re looking for a quicker version of this guy I might suggest taking whole onions and quartering them off as a substitute. It will shave off a significant amount of time and I suspect the flavor is going to still be really tasty though you may have a bite from the regular onions since these little guys are more sweet onion flavor and zero bite when roasted up. So, it just depends on your audience and their like or dislike of onions.
My other thought is to do the onions a day or 2 in advanced so when you’re ready for cooking you’re just pulling them out with the tomatoes, throwing it on a pan and waiting the 45 mins of roasting time to assemble and serve.
Deb also talks about pearl onions which could be an option as well since those often come pre peeled.
It really is a low maintenance dish once those onions are out of the way. I used Northern Beans, drained and straight from the can at she encourages and my husband was none the wiser. He asked what I did to the beans and I looked at him and smiled saying, “I opened the can.”
I think this made for a yummy light dinner and would be amazing in the summer, especially after I pick all our little tomatoes off our plants! I love summer tomatoes and I want to try this then!
I actually think it would make a nice side around the holidays too. The colors are right for Christmas and the flavors would complement whatever your family does…ham, turkey, Italian, etc.
Please don’t let the Cipollini’s discourage any attempts at this one. Make the modifications as needed but absolutely try this recipe!
You can jump right in and find the recipe on Deb’s site, The Smitten Kitchen and she can give you all the info on Cipollini’s.
Happy peeling everyone!
The Novice Life 
One Comment Add yours