Recipe by Olivia Cavalli. Image by Sophie Davidson
This is a simple, practical dish that works well when you want something warm and filling without much effort. Orzo cooks quickly and gives a risotto-style texture without the time commitment. Blending the cavolo nero makes the sauce smooth and keeps the greens from feeling bulky. A bit of lemon and good olive oil at the end bring it together. The recipe is from Stagioni: Contemporary Italian Cooking to Celebrate the Seasons. If you cook seasonally and like straightforward Italian food, the book is worth a look.
ยซ A quick and easy lunch/supper that can easily be scaled up or down if needed. If you can, use homemade or fresh shop-bought stock here, rather than a cube, which can overpower (but if thatโs all youโve got, donโt let it stop you). ยป
Risoni di Cavolo Nero
Ingredients
- handful of hazelnuts or walnuts
- about 150gโ200g/5ยฝozโ7oz cavolo nero
- 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus more (best oil this time)
- 1 fat garlic clove, smashed and
- peeled, but kept whole
- 2-3 anchovies in oil, optional
- pinch of chilli flakes
- 700 ml/1ยผ pints chicken or vegetable stock
- ยฝ lemon
- 240 g (8ยฝoz) orzo/risoni pasta
- 2 tbsp mascarpone
- finely grated Parmesan, to serve (optional)
- fine salt and freshly ground
- black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 150ยฐC fan. Toast the hazelnuts in the oven for around 15 minutes, then remove and set aside. Strip the leaves from the tough stalks of the cavolo nero, chop the leaves roughly and rinse.
- Put the oil, garlic and anchovies, if using, in a pan and heat gently for around 3 minutes until the anchovies have melted and the garlic is fragrant. Add the chilli and continue to cook for another minute or so, stirring continuously. Add the cavolo nero and cook for another 3โ4 minutes until just wilted. Discard the garlic and transfer everything to a blender with a splash of the stock and a squeeze lemon juice. Blend to a smooth liquid.
- Put the remaining stock in the same pan in which you cooked the veg (no need to wash it) and bring to the boil. Add the orzo and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook for 6โ7 minutes, stirring every so often, until the pasta has absorbed all the stock; add a splash of water if it looks like itโs getting dry too soon. Add the purรฉed cavolo nero and cook for another 2 minutes until everything has come together nicely and it has a similar consistency to risotto. Finely grate in the zest of ยฝ lemon and stir through the mascarpone. Taste for seasoning and add more lemon juice if you want.
- Serve immediately with the hazelnuts crumbled on top, some Parmesan and a drizzle more oil (use your best one for this bit).
Extracted from: Stagioni: Contemporary Italian Cooking to Celebrate the Seasons by Olivia Cavalli (Pavilion, HarperCollins Publishers). Image by Sophie Davidson.