Recipe: Pappardelle with cavolo nero and burrata

Cavolo nero, or Tuscan kale, makes for a healthy, fresh pasta sauce full of vitamins and iron, says Mateo Zielonka. The addition of creamy burrata complements the grassy flavour of the kale and turns the dish into something really special.

Serves 4

• 400g egg pappardelle
• 1 whole small garlic bulb
• 150g cavolo nero (about 10 whole leaves)
• juice of ½ a small lemon
• 100ml olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
• 20g parmesan or pecorino, grated
• 2 balls of burrata, halved

Method

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• Preheat the oven to 180°C fan/400°F/gas mark 6.
• Cut 1cm off the top of the garlic bulb so the cloves are exposed. Wrap the whole garlic in foil and twist the top closed, then roast for 25 minutes until it’s soft.
• Remove and discard the stalks from the cavolo nero and wash the stripped leaves under cold water. Bring a large pan of water to the boil before adding salt. Blanch the leaves for 30 seconds, then immediately transfer them to a bowl of cold water (this will help keep their green colour). Set aside the pan of salted water to cook the pasta in.
• Press the cavolo nero leaves to remove as much water as you can, and put them into a food processor or blender. Add the lemon juice. Squeeze the roasted garlic cloves out of their skins and add them to the processor or blender. Start blending the ingredients together, slowly adding the olive oil as you go, and finishing with the parmesan.
• Bring the pan of salted water back to the boil and cook the pappardelle for 1½-2 minutes. At the same time, pour the cavolo nero sauce into a large saucepan on a low heat. When the pasta is cooked, add it to the sauce with a ladleful (or two) of pasta water. Combine together using tongs or simply toss it. Check the seasoning – it will need salt – and the sauce might need to be loosened with more pasta water.
• Divide between bowls. Place half a ball of burrata on top of each serving, drizzle with olive oil and add a twist of black pepper.

Taken from The Pasta Man by Mateo Zielonka, published by Quadrille at £15. To buy from The Week Bookshop for £11.99, call 020-3176 3835 or visit theweekbookshop.co.uk.