Miso Butter Greens Pasta
by Meera Sodha
Joshua McFadden’s kale sauce has been a cult sensation, coaxing cooks around the world to eat 450g of cavolo nero in one sitting. It’s impressive on many levels: the volume of green, the simplicity and the excellent flavour. I’ve made it many times, losing the Parmesan but adding some fennel seeds, chilli and miso instead. Like all the best recipes, it has taken on new life in my kitchen and, with thanks to Joshua, here’s my version.
Method
Based on 4 servings, adjust as needed.
Step 1
Melt the butter in a saucepan on a medium heat. When it’s bubbling, add the garlic, fennel seeds and chilli flakes, and fry, stirring, for 2 to 3 minutes, until the garlic smell changes from raw to cooked and a bit like garlic bread.
Step 2
Add the choped broccoli, cavolo nero leaves, and a little salt and 250ml of water (if cooking for 4), stir (this will be challenging, but believe in yourself), cover, turn down the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring every few minutes, for 8 to 10 minutes, until the greens have wilted and become tender.
Step 3
Scrape all the contents of the cavolo nero pan into a blender or food processor, add the miso and olive oil, and blend to a smooth sauce, scraping down the sides as necessary; add a little water, if needed, to create a silky-smooth sauce (I add about 4 tablespoons to serve 4).
Step 4
Rinse out the greens pot, fill with water (do not salt it: miso is already quite salty, and you can always adjust the seasoning later) and bring to a boil. Cook the pasta according to the packet instructions and, when it’s got a minute to go, gently lower a large mug into the water and scoop out a mugful of the starchy cooking water.
Step 5
Drain the pasta, return it to the pot, add the sauce and toss with around 6 to 8 tablespoons of the cooking water to get it to a consistency you like. Taste and add salt, if need be. Spoon out on to a serving platter and drizzle over with chilli oil (if you like) or extra virgin olive oil.
- Ingredients
- Based on 4 servings
-
5 Garlic Cloves, chopped 1x Sainsbury's Garlic -
0.5 tsp Chilli Flakes 1x Sainsbury's Crushed Chillies 32g -
100g Broccoli, chopped 1x Sainsbury's Broccoli Loose -
400g Cavolo Nero, leaves stripped and sliced 2x Sainsbury's Cavolo Nero, Black Kale 200g -
Maldon Salt, to taste 1x Maldon Sea Salt Flakes 250g -
2.5 tbsp White Miso Paste 1x Miso Tasty White Miso Light Soybean Paste 200g -
3 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil 1x Sainsbury's Olive Oil, Extra Virgin 250ml -
1 tbsp Chilli Oil, to finish, or use extra virgin olive oil 1x Sainsbury's Chilli Flavoured Olive Oil, Inspired to Cook 250ml -
500g Orecchiette 1x Sainsbury's Orecchiette, Taste the Difference 500g -
60g Unsalted Butter, vegan or dairy 1x Sainsbury's British Butter, Unsalted 250g -
0.5 tsp Fennel Seeds 1x Sainsbury's Fennel Seed 34g