Cavolo nero is Italian kale with a deeper flavour than its international friend. Try it with pasta for a quick, healthy, and filling meal.
Cavolo nero has recently become widely available in the UK. I am not sure how this has happened; might it have been Jamie Olivier and his love for this vegetable? That man controls the minds of everyone on this island!
I cook it with pasta, black beans, and cherry tomatoes over and over again. It is now an obsession of mine like a tv series you can’t stop watching.
And yes, this is not a random reference. I do eat pasta with cavolo nero unapologetically on the sofa, tired after work, hiding under a blanket, and watching the telly.
Have you been watching something good lately?
I am currently looking for something new to watch so any suggestion is welcome!
Just a few words of warning because you suggest I watch Squid Game. I am an old lady when it comes to tv – and many more things, to be honest, I am not known for a brave heart. Give me something cosy, chilled, and with lots of good vibes.
My favourite shows are Grace and Frankie (two idols of mine!), Anne with an E, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, The Chair, Derby Girls, Gente-fied, Call the Midwife and so and so forth.
Occasionally, I like a bit of thrill and indulge in Stranger Things, Killing Eve, and The Flight Attendant, or weird shows as It’s Bruno (really hope they make a second season) and The End of the F***ing World.
Not to mention my obvious big love for the cooking shows, from Nigella to Jamie Oliver. I am also a fan of all the BBC documentaries, especially the one where they send a family back in time and try all the weird stuff, I’d love to be on one of these shows!
I might as well come clean and tell you that I love teen romcoms and deeply enjoyed Never I have Ever, To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You plus I cried so much on the last episode of Master of None.
Watching the telly is considered a lazy activity but I believe in the pleasure of doing nothing, taking some time aside to indulge in unproductiveness. Taking a break is good. Pausing is the only way to click restart.
My pasta is ready in a few minutes, the next episode of Sex Education is starting so goodbye!
I hope you’ll like this simple yet delicious pasta as much as I do.
Pasta with cavolo nero
Course: MainsDifficulty: Easy5
minutes20
minutesCavolo nero is Italian kale with a deeper flavour than its international friend. Try it with pasta for a quick, healthy, and filling meal.
Ingredients
300 g cavolo nero
1 tsp chilli flakes
1 or 2 garlic cloves
2 spoons of tomato sauce or paste
200 g cherry tomatoes
400 g black beans
250 g pasta (any type of short pasta will do, e.g. penne, fusilli, farfalle)
- Food Cupboard
Coarse sea salt, extra-virgin olive oil, boiling water
Method
- Cut the cavolo nero into small chunks. Transfer it to a big pot with a tablespoon of coarse sea salt and cover it with boiling water. Let it simmer for 10 minutes over medium heat.
- In the meantime, in a separate pan, heat three generous spoons of extra-virgin olive oil and attentively fry minced garlic and chilli flakes. After 2 minutes, add two spoons of tomato sauce or tomato paste depending on what you have in your fridge. Stir for one minute and then add in halved cherry tomatoes and stir over high heat for two minutes.
- If you want a complete meal, add black beans (or any beans you have waiting for you in the cupboard) to the delicious garlicky oil-tomatoes mix.
- When the cavolo nero’s water is boiling, add your pasta in. Using the same pot not only helps you to have one pot less to clean but makes your pasta absorb all the awesome flavours of cavolo nero. Cook the pasta till very al dente, 5 minutes should normally be enough.
- Transfer your pasta and cavolo nero to the pan and stir in with three spoons of their water. Wait one minute for all the flavours to combine. Serve, eat, and repeat.
