From the cookbook Happy – Because These Recipes Make You Happy by Meera Sodha.
Joshua McFadden's kale sauce was a sensation. It inspired people around the world to eat an entire pound of greens in one sitting. What makes it so remarkable is its sheer amount of vegetables, its simplicity, and its incredible flavour. I like to make it with cavolo nero, leave out the Parmesan, and season it instead with fennel seeds, chilli, and miso. Like all great recipes, it has taken on a life of its own in my kitchen—and this is my version. Thank you, Joshua. — Meera Sodha
| Ingredients | ||
|---|---|---|
| 60 | g | butter, or a vegan alternative |
| 5 | garlic cloves, chopped | |
| ½ | teaspoon(s) | fennel seeds |
| ½ | teaspoon(s) | chilli flakes |
| 100 | g | broccoli, chopped |
| 400 | g | cavolo nero (Tuscan kale), stems removed and leaves sliced into strips |
| ¾ | teaspoon(s) | salt |
| 2½ | tablespoon(s) | shiro miso (sweet white miso) |
| 3 | tablespoon(s) | extra virgin olive oil |
| 500 | g | orecchiette |
| Chilli oil or extra virgin olive oil, to serve | ||
Heat the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Once it begins to foam, add the garlic, fennel seeds, and chilli flakes. Cook, stirring, for 2–3 minutes, until the garlic loses its raw aroma and smells rich and mellow, almost like garlic bread.
Add the broccoli, cavolo nero, salt, and 250 ml water. Stir everything together (it will seem like a lot of greens at first), cover, and cook over medium-low heat for 8–10 minutes, stirring every few minutes, until the vegetables have wilted and become tender.
Transfer the cooked vegetables to a blender. Add the miso and olive oil, then blend until completely smooth, scraping down the sides as needed. If necessary, add a little more water—about 4 tablespoons should be enough—to create a silky sauce.
Rinse out the saucepan, fill it with water, and bring it to a boil. Do not salt the water, as the miso already provides plenty of seasoning and you can adjust the salt later if needed.
Cook the orecchiette according to the package instructions. About 1 minute before the pasta is ready, reserve a large mug of the starchy cooking water.
Drain the pasta and return it to the saucepan. Add the cavolo nero sauce together with 6–8 tablespoons of the reserved pasta water, depending on your preferred consistency, and toss until the pasta is evenly coated.
Taste and season with additional salt if necessary.
Transfer to a serving platter and finish with a drizzle of chilli oil or extra virgin olive oil.
Tip:
You'll need a blender and a large saucepan (about 5 litres) with a lid for this recipe.
