Sauces, conserves & preserves
Cavolo nero pesto
Fresh, homemade pesto is one of the greatest things you can add to a hot bowl of pasta, drizzle over roasted vegetables or just to be served as a dip with your favourite party foods. But pesto doesn’t have to always be done the traditional way. In this recipe, we use cavolo nero (black kale) as the green ingredient and it shows this variety of kale at its best. The deep, dark leaves make a beautiful autumnal pesto, reminding us that there is always a way to make a more seasonal and sustainable variation of our favourite foods.
Ingredients
- 100g cavolo nero, leaves washed & roughly chopped
- 25g Italian hard cheese
- 25g pine nuts
- 1 garlic clove, peeled
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 4 tbsp olive oil
Method
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Step 1
Bring a medium pan of salted water to the boil. Add the cavolo nero and simmer for 3 minutes or until tender. Drain and rinse in cold water to stop the cooking and maintain the green colour of the leaves. Once cold, squeeze out any excess water.
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Step 2
Put the cavolo nero and the rest of the ingredients into a food processor. Blend until smooth and season to taste.
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Step 3
Transfer to a bowl and enjoyed as a dip, tossed though pasta or with roasted vegetables.