Cavolo Nero Pesto Pasta

I’ll have to hand it to the genius minds of Ruth Rogers and Rose Gray of The River Cafe in London for making this incredibly simple “pesto” a staple in my cooking repertoire. I live for recipes I can make with few ingredients from my fridge and pantry. Made with tuscan kale or cavolo nero, its a simple, quick and delicious recipe using this dark leafy green, that isn’t a salad.

Serves 4

ingredients

1 large bunch of tuscan kale, deveined and leaves torn, about 1kg

2 garlic cloves, peeled

1 cup olive oil

1/4 cup grated parmigiano reggiano cheese, plus more for serving

1 lemon, to taste

1 500g pack of dried short pasta

Method

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil over high heat. Add the kale and garlic, cooking for 5 minutes until tender. Use a slotted spoon to remove the kale and garlic, transferring to a food processor or high-speed blender.

2. Meanwhile, add the pasta into the same water you cooked the kale in. Cook according to the pack until al dente. Tip the pasta back into the pot and set aside while you finish the pesto.

3. Blend the kale until smooth, adding about 3/4 cup of olive oil until a smooth, dark green pesto is achieved.

4. Add the cheese, along with a squeeze of lemon juice to taste, blend until smooth.

5. Add the pesto to the pasta, stirring well to coat. Divide between plates and serve with extra parmigiano and a drizzle of the remaining olive oil.