In summer, basil pesto and lemon pesto are among my favorite dressings for a quick pasta, but in winter, black cabbage pesto is the best alternative.
Its preparation is very simple, just like basil pesto, however, compared to the latter, it requires one more step, which is boiling the black cabbage leaves which are much tougher than basil leaves.
So, once the black cabbage is cleaned by removing the leaves from the central rib, they need to be thoroughly washed under running water and boiled for a few minutes to wilt. Once drained and cooled, they can be blended together with oil, garlic, salt, cheese, nuts, and chili pepper.
To achieve a smooth cream, avoiding the use of too much oil, I helped myself with a bit of cooking water from the cabbage leaves.
I used black cabbage pesto to dress pasta, but you can easily use it to accompany various meats or spread it on crostini.
Now take a minute to read the recipe and then…let’s cook and eat!!
See also
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Cooking time: 3 Minutes
- Portions: 4
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
- 7 oz black cabbage (leaves already cleaned)
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan (or Pecorino)
- 1 pinch fine salt
- 1/2 clove garlic
- 1/2 fresh chilies (optional)
- 1 oz cashews (or other nuts)
- as needed water (from cooking the cabbage)
- 11 oz pasta
Tools
- 1 Knife
- 1 Colander
- 1 Bowl
- 1 Pot
- 1 Immersion Blender
Steps
To prepare the pasta with black cabbage pesto, start with the latter.
Take the individual black cabbage leaves, remove the central rib (as in the video), and wash them thoroughly under running water.
Boil them for 5 minutes in salted water, then drain and let them cool in a colander.
Then transfer the boiled cabbage leaves into a jug and add the salt, oil, grated cheese, garlic (I used Tuscan garlic), and a piece of fresh chili pepper.
Start blending with an immersion blender, then add the nuts and some cooking water from the cabbage leaves.
Continue blending until you get a smooth and homogeneous cream. Taste and adjust the salt if necessary.
For cooking the pasta, you can choose to use the same water from cooking the cabbage leaves or “clean” water brought to a boil and salted.
Cook the pasta shape you prefer for the time indicated on its package.
As soon as it’s ready, drain it and dress it with the black cabbage pesto, a sprinkle of freshly grated cheese, and, if you like, more chili 😉.
