Radicchio e Fagioli

This bitter, red-leafed vegetable is enormously popular all over the Veneto. Of the three most common varieties, radicchio di Chioggia is in the form of a tight ball; radicchio di Verona is floppy and lettuce-like; and radicchio Trevisano, perhaps the best-loved sort, has long, narrow leaves. Any of these can be used in this simple peasant recipe - a classic example of a dish where the protein is provided by a modest amount of meat, supplemented by beans. This makes the complete dish both c