I am in the process of sorting out my allotment for this year and had some rather leggy cavolo nero.
Usually I serve it on the side of a roast with a light anchovy butter sauce stirred through it.

I decided to dig it out and put some new seed in but it left me with a bag of the winter cabbage so I decided to try something different.
In this recipe it replaces the basil usually used in pesto to make a rich dark green glossy sauce.
It’s delicious and a lovely alternative to pesto.
I’m looking forward to a new crop.

Ingredients (for two portions)

150g of cavolo nero (stalks removed)
2x garlic clove peeled
2x handfuls of grated Parmesan
A few decent glugs of your best olive oil
2x tbsp of toasted pine nuts

200g of pasta – flat like parpadelle is best

Method

1) Add the cavolo nero and garlic to large pan of boiling salted water for 5-10mins until tender
2) Meanwhile cook pasta until pack instructions reserving half a cup of cooking water
3) Add cooked cavolo nero and garlic to food processor with pine nuts and blend until smooth
4) Add cheese, oil and water and blend again until glossy, add more oil if you need.
5) Stir sauce through pasta and finish with a grating of cheese.

Delicious…