Onions aren't all the same. From the north of Italy to the south there are dozens of varieties grown, divided mainly into three types according to the color of the bulb, which can be yellow, red, and white. All onions are rich in vitamins and minerals and were used in ancient times to purify the blood, as well as to relieve symptoms of flu and colds. The best-known varieties are undoubtedly the red onion from Tropea, the golden onion from Parma, and the white onion from Barletta. There are however a lot of them around the peninsula, all with varying qualities, each different from another, so when cooking them bear in mind a range of techniques. Here are all the tricks you’ll need to adopt when preparing roasted onions, based on its variety.
Roasted Red Onion
The general rule usually, is that the red onion is eaten raw, the white one is used to flavor a dish, while the yellow one is ideal for slow cooking. But every rule as you know has its exceptions. The red onion of Tropea, grown mainly in the provinces of Cosenza and Vibo Valentia, is oval in shape and purple in color. It’s usually eaten raw but can also be baked together with chopped parsley and rosemary, maintaining its unmistakable flavor. Simply peel the onions, boil them in salted water for just under ten minutes, cut them into two or three parts cover them with a drizzle of oil and then put them in the oven at 180 degrees for about an hour. The same procedure can obviously be used for the red onion bell from Alife and the red onion from Acquaviva delle Fonti (in Puglia), Suasa (Marche), Cannara (Umbria) and Cavasso Nuovo (Friuli).
Roasted White Onion
Among the most common white onions in Italy, other than the one from Barletta, there is undoubtedly the one grown in Giarratana, Sicily. As mentioned, white onions are mainly used in the kitchen to flavor recipes, but they can give a fantastic impression served at the table even prepared in the oven. After having cleaned them and kept them in water for about an hour, so that the extreme flavor and smell are released, just cut them in a cross on the bottom and put them in a deep baking tray. Then season the onions with salt and pepper and cover them with oil and above all breadcrumbs. The baked white onions are in fact the best suited to be au gratin. At the end of these very simple steps, all that remains is to bake them in the oven at 200 degrees until they are golden brown. This super quick preparation is also valid for the white onion of Chioggia, the borettana onion typical of the Po Valley (especially ideal for sweet and sour conserve), and for the Sardinian of Banari, golden outside but once peeled very white.
Roasted Yellow Onions
Among the most common of this color there are undoubtedly the onions from Montoro, the Parma onion, and the yellow onion of Sermide, in the Ferrarese area. These are mainly used for soups, whilst if prepared in the oven or to be used as a side dish, you need to bear in mind a few measures and recommendations. Peel them, boil them for about ten minutes in salted water, then cut them coarsely and bake at 180 degrees for three-quarters of an hour, remembering to sprinkle them with oil and season with salt and pepper. To enhance their aroma, you can also bake the yellow onions in the oven with rosemary or parsley. You need to try it to believe it.