This simple pasta dinner is creamy and nourishing, packed with hearty cavolo nero (aka lacinato kale, Tuscan kale, black kale). Easy to make and adaptable, a bowl of cavolo nero pasta may become your favorite way to eat your greens.
Today we’re adding an easy 20 minute dinner to our repertoire, one of those lovely pasta meals where the toppings can be prepared while the spaghetti boils.
A perfect meal for the winter time when I begrudgingly accept that cherry tomatoes aren’t in season anymore but whaddya know, cavolo nero kale is! An old forgotten favorite which I never use enough.
Seriously, how amazing is this stuff? Also known as lacinato kale, Tuscan kale or black kale, it’s extra thick, extra textured and chewy.
Its long leaf shape is really easy to de-stem, much easier than its cousin curly kale, which makes it nice and simple to prep.
It’s fun to cook with because it’s less likely to wilt or go limp, and its texture allows it to grab onto sauces and garlic and cheese and all the good things.
And it’s fun to eat because it’s got more bite, and adds a lot of contrast to a dish like this one.
This is a really simple pasta dish that doesn’t have a lot of ingredients and comes together quickly on a weeknight.
You have creamy but light spaghetti packed with garlicky, lemony cavolo nero and a scattering of walnuts and olives. Perfect winter comfort food, while you’re safe in the knowledge that you’re eating your greens.
There is plenty of room for variation here, of course, the olives and walnuts are entirely optional and could be replaced with other tasty bits like capers, sundried tomatoes, or pine nuts. You could boost the amount of cream and/or cheese for something more decadent. Start with this recipe, and see where it takes you.
Creamy Cavolo Nero Pasta
Ingredients
- 300 g (11 oz) dried spaghetti
- 200 g (7 oz) bunch of cavolo nero, de-stemmed and chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, crushed
- 2 lemons, juiced
- 60 ml (¼ cup) double cream / heavy cream
- ½ tsp dijon mustard
- 75 g (¾ cups) grated parmesan* cheese
- 8 olives, sliced
- ½ cup chopped walnuts
Instructions
- Boil your spaghetti according to package instructions.
- While the spaghetti is cooking, heat some olive oil in a wok or frying pan over a low-medium heat. Stir fry the cavolo nero until it goes brighter green and starts to soften.
- Add the garlic and salt and pepper to taste. Continue to cook until the garlic is fragrant and softening.
- Pour the lemon juice into the pan and cook until it's mostly evaporated.
- Turn the heat down to a very low setting. Add the cream and dijon mustard, and mix through. Scoop a little bit of the pasta cooking water into the pan to help a light sauce form.
- Add a handful of the cheese (reserving a little for the topping), the walnuts and olives to the pan, then remove from the heat until the pasta is ready.
- Once the pasta is al dente, reserve a cup of the cooking water and then drain it.
- Add the pasta to the pan with the cavolo nero. Toss through, adding pasta cooking water as needed to get it silky and saucy.
- Serve, with the remaining cheese for topping.
I made this, but as usual, I had to make a few modifications. 1 I used the kale from the garden, not the crinkly kind which mean I had to use a lot less. 2 as I was doing the things, I realized there was something missing: mushrooms, so I cooked up some mushrooms to add in. 3 I put in some of my home-dried tomatoes that gave it the sense of something a bit meaty in the sauce. It came out great. The only thing I would have done differently, and will next time, is chop some onions into the kale and garlic.