Whether as a side dish or appetizer, l'insalata di rinforzo features prominently on the Neapolitan Christmas dinner table. The classic recipe calls for cauliflower, sweet papaccelle bell peppers, and pickles, though it's not unusual to find a twist or two on the classic version.
L’Insalata di rinforzo: Cavalcanti’s version of caponata
In essence, l'insalta di rinforzo is a cauliflower and pickle salad, an ancient recipe rooted in Campania's cabbage and vegetable production. Its first written mention appears in chef Ippolito Cavalcanti's 1839 cookbook “Cucina teorico-pratica.” He described it as a “simple caponata” — not to be confused with today's caponata. Originating during the Baroque period and popular with the aristocracy, this pyramid-shaped salad was “constructed” of toasted bread soaked in vinegar, extra-virgin olive oil, salt, pepper, and sugar, and topped with thinly sliced lettuce and escarole. Over time, Neapolitans began incorporating anchovies, black olives, capers, pickled papaccelle peppers, cucumbers, boiled limpets (a local mollusk), pickled eggplant, and hard-boiled eggs into the mix. Each of these ingredients adorns a different part of the pyramid, which is garnished with small cauliflower florets, Roman broccoli, and orange and lemon slices.
The recipe’s name and origins
As years passed, popular cuisine reworked the recipe. The toasted bread came out, letting cauliflower stand front and center. Various theories surround the origin of its name, a reference to reinforcement (rinforzo). Some argue that it comes from the tradition of eating the salad throughout the holidays and how the cook of the house would regularly replenish the salad. According to others, the reinforcement refers to the strong anchovy and vinegar flavors. But the name most likely comes from the salad's nutritional benefits, especially during the holidays when sweets abound.
The "original" recipe
The true recipe? That's up for debate. Even if everyone doesn't agree, the most common version calls for boiled cauliflower florets, green olives, black olives, papaccelle (stuffed, preserved, and pickled red bell peppers from Campania), capers, anchovies and pickled eggplant and cucumbers, all tossed in a dressing of salt, pepper, extra-virgin olive oil and vinegar. Escarole or endive is optional, while oil-preserved bell peppers can replace the papaccelle, which are hard to come by if you’re not a local.
Variations and possible ingredients
This dish became a catch-all of sorts for produce available during the holidays, so use your imagination when it comes to adding pickled or preserved vegetables. The salad may contain other ingredients like carrots, mushrooms, onions, artichoke, fennel, hard-boiled eggs, zucchini, radicchio, red chili pepper, or even tuna, but all combined with a "base," which traditionally consisted of boiled cauliflower. If using cauliflower, prepare the salad several hours ahead of time, so that the flavors meld, though don't add the escarole or endive until just before serving. Or couple the salad with crostini and enjoy it as an appetizer.