Cavolo nero, garlic, egg yolk
In this carb-conscious world, somewhere between zoodles and cauliower rice, eating pasta
became a rebellious act. Thankfully, these dark days seem to be passing, with more people
taking comfort in pasta (and I’m assuming that by reading this book, you are too). Maybe it’s
the familiarity or pasta’s approachability and versatility. Or are people just enjoying a bowl
of pasta for what it is – delicious?
This brilliantly green pasta sauce is brought together with an egg yolk, and it feeds
you in a way that ‘clean eating’ never will. Just like a carbonara, the egg will cook from the
residual heat as you toss it through the hot pasta. The result is a rich and vibrant sauce that
coats each strand. It’s important that your eggs are fresh, free range and preferably organic.
If you are uncomfortable eating raw egg, some dollops of ricotta or mascarpone are a good
alternative. A few nuggets of creamy feta would also be a nice addition if that’s what you
have¬in the fridge.¬
Serves 2
2 garlic cloves
1 bunch of cavolo nero,
leaves stripped
2 egg yolks
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
zest of 1 lemon
handful of grated Parmigiano
Reggiano, plus extra to serve
sea salt and freshly ground
blackpepper
pinch of chilli akes (optional)
FRESH PASTA FOR 2
tagliolini, tagliatelle, linguine
DRIED PASTA FOR 2
angel hair, linguine, spaghetti
108
Bring a large saucepan of water to a lively boil and season as
salty as the sea.
Peel the garlic by smashing the cloves with the at part of
a knife – they should almost pop out of their skins. Throw the
peeled garlic cloves and cavolo nero leaves into the boiling
water and watch the hard, dark leaves turn a vibrant green and
op with the rise and fall of the bubbles. Cook for 5 minutes,
then, using tongs, grab the dripping wet leaves and garlic and
throw them into a blender.
Keep that now-green pan of water boiling, ready for your pasta.
Now is a good time to crack your eggs and separate the yolks.
Iprefer to separate eggs using my hands, as I nd I can be more
delicate than ipping them between the two shell halves. Keep
the egg whites for another day.
Back to the sauce. Add the olive oil and lemon zest to the
blender and blitz the whole thing up for about 3 minutes, until
creamy and smooth. Add the Parmigiano Reggiano, plus a pinch
of salt and pepper and the chilli, if using. Give it one last blitz to
combine, then taste to check your seasoning and add more salt
if needed.
Meanwhile, add your pasta to the boiling water and cook until
aldente.
As a safety net, scoop out 250 ml (1 cup) of the pasta cooking
water, as you might need it to loosen up your sauce.Drain the
pasta and throw it back in the pan, along with the green sauce.
Give everything a good swirl, allowing the pasta to gulp up the
sauce and adding the reserved cooking water if needed. You
want it to be loose and relaxed, just like you. Give it another
dusting of Parmigiano Reggiano before one nal swirl.
Divide the pasta between bowls and carefully nestle the raw egg
yolk on top of each pasta nest. Add a nal dusting of Parmigiano
Reggiano and serve immediately.