This easy Jamie Oliver Cavolo Nero Pasta is a creamy, nutritious dish that’s perfect for a quick weeknight dinner. Made with simple ingredients like kale, leek, and Parmesan, it’s a comforting, vibrant meal that’s full of flavor and can be adapted with whatever greens you have on hand.
Ingredients Needed
- 1 large leek
- 6 cloves of garlic
- 2 large handfuls of cavolo nero (dark curly kale or savoy cabbage)
- 100ml (3.4 fl oz) extra virgin olive oil
- 500g (1 lb 1.8 oz) dried pasta (penne, linguine, or spaghetti)
- 100g (3.5 oz) Parmesan cheese
How To Make Cavolo Nero Pasta
- Prepare the Vegetables: Trim, halve, and chop the leek into chunks. Peel the garlic cloves.
- Cook the Vegetables: Bring a large pan of salted water to a boil. Drop in the leek and garlic cloves and cook for 3 minutes. Add the cavolo nero, kale, or cabbage and cook for another 3-3½ minutes, but do not overcook.
- Make the Sauce: Using tongs or a slotted spoon, transfer the vegetables to a blender along with some of the cooking water. Add the olive oil and blend until you get a smooth, vivid green purée with a consistency like double cream. If it’s too thick, add a little more cooking water. Season with sea salt and black pepper to taste.
- Cook the Pasta: Bring the water back to a boil and cook the pasta according to the package instructions.
- Combine Pasta and Sauce: Drain the pasta and return it to the pan. Add the green sauce and simmer over medium-low heat for about 30 seconds.
- Finish the Dish: Remove from the heat and quickly grate in the Parmesan cheese. Taste and adjust the seasoning with more salt and pepper if needed.
- Serve: Finely grate additional Parmesan on top and serve immediately on a large platter.
Recipe Tips
- Don’t overcook the veg: Cook the leek, garlic, and cavolo nero for exactly 3 to 3½ minutes. Overcooking can make the sauce too soggy and lose its bright green color.
- Adjust sauce consistency: If the sauce is too thick, add a splash of the pasta cooking water to loosen it up. The sauce should be smooth and creamy, not too runny.
- Grate Parmesan quickly: As soon as you remove the pasta from the heat, grate in the Parmesan to ensure it melts evenly and doesn’t clump.
- Season to taste: Taste the sauce before mixing it with the pasta and adjust the salt and pepper. The seasoning makes a big difference to the flavor.
How To Store And Reheat Leftovers?
- Refrigerate: Let the leftover pasta cool to room temperature. Then, store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.
- Reheat: Reheat the pasta on low heat for about 5-7 minutes. Add a splash of water or extra olive oil to help loosen the sauce, and stir occasionally until it’s heated through.
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size: 1 of 4-6 servings
- Calories: 776
- Total Fat: 35.1g
- Saturated Fat: 8.7g
- Total Carbohydrate: 95.1g
- Dietary Fiber: 5.1g
- Sugars: 5.3g
- Protein: 25.7g
Try More Jamie Oliver Recipes:
- Jamie Oliver Blue Cheese Pasta
- Jamie Oliver Sausage Tomato Pasta
- Jamie Oliver Sardine Pasta
- Jamie Oliver Pasta alla Norma
Jamie Oliver Cavolo Nero Pasta
Description
This easy Jamie Oliver Cavolo Nero Pasta is a creamy, nutritious dish that’s perfect for a quick weeknight dinner. Made with simple ingredients like kale, leek, and Parmesan, it’s a comforting, vibrant meal that’s full of flavor and can be adapted with whatever greens you have on hand.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Prepare the Vegetables: Trim, halve, and chop the leek into chunks. Peel the garlic cloves.
- Cook the Vegetables: Bring a large pan of salted water to a boil. Drop in the leek and garlic cloves and cook for 3 minutes. Add the cavolo nero, kale, or cabbage and cook for another 3-3½ minutes, but do not overcook.
- Make the Sauce: Using tongs or a slotted spoon, transfer the vegetables to a blender along with some of the cooking water. Add the olive oil and blend until you get a smooth, vivid green purée with a consistency like double cream. If it’s too thick, add a little more cooking water. Season with sea salt and black pepper to taste.
- Cook the Pasta: Bring the water back to a boil and cook the pasta according to the package instructions.
- Combine Pasta and Sauce: Drain the pasta and return it to the pan. Add the green sauce and simmer over medium-low heat for about 30 seconds.
- Finish the Dish: Remove from the heat and quickly grate in the Parmesan cheese. Taste and adjust the seasoning with more salt and pepper if needed.
- Serve: Finely grate additional Parmesan on top and serve immediately on a large platter.
Notes
- Don’t overcook the veg: Cook the leek, garlic, and cavolo nero for exactly 3 to 3½ minutes. Overcooking can make the sauce too soggy and lose its bright green color.
- Adjust sauce consistency: If the sauce is too thick, add a splash of the pasta cooking water to loosen it up. The sauce should be smooth and creamy, not too runny.
- Grate Parmesan quickly: As soon as you remove the pasta from the heat, grate in the Parmesan to ensure it melts evenly and doesn’t clump.
- Season to taste: Taste the sauce before mixing it with the pasta and adjust the salt and pepper. The seasoning makes a big difference to the flavor.
Jamie Oliver Cavolo Nero Pasta