Butter curry cavolo nero pasta (veggie or vegan)
This is my pureed kale pasta sauce. There are many like it, but this one is mine.
Ok, there may not be that many like it. But Meera Sodha and Delicious Magazine have dropped stone cold bangers with miso butter and confit garlic respectively, and both now just live in my brain. In fact, scrolling through my last few recipes, blitzed greens seem to be a theme. Can’t blame a middle-aged man for trying to get some fibre 🤷
So when left with some cavolo nero to use up the other night, I made the mental hop from miso butter to butter chicken to hmm, I don’t actually have any chicken, to, well, here we are.
This is vegetarian, becomes vegan with tweaks you won't notice (yoghurt and butter), is a lovely colour, and you can make it in half an hour.
Ingredients:
Pasta, 180g (rigatoni or orecchiette, I reckon)
Cavolo nero, 200g (see notes)
Greek yoghurt, 150g (plant-based works, see notes)
Peas, 100g (frozen is fine)
Onion, 1 small
Butter, 30g (plant-based is fine, see notes)
Garlic, 3-4 cloves
Tomato puree, 3tbsp
Garam masala, 2tsp
Turmeric, 1/2tsp
Ground cardamom, 1/4tsp
Ground fenugreek, 1/4tsp
Dried fenugreek leaves, 1.5tsp
Mild chilli powder, 1tsp or to taste (see notes)
Serves 2 with this pasta quantity, but honestly it’s enough sauce for 3.
Notes:
Chilli - I don't feel like butter chicken is usually that hot, so mild chilli powder or flaked Kashmiri style chillis would work for colour and flavour, but green finger chillis chopped fine and added with the garlic give a nice kick if you fancy.
Vegan substitutions - plant-based Greek yoghurt is fairly easy to find. Vegan butter alternatives are patchier in quality. Flora Plant is great. If in doubt, fry with a couple tbsp of oil instead, and add an extra 50g of yoghurt substitute.
Cavolo nero - You could use curly kale, it’s cheaper but a little woodier at the stem. I think cavolo nero has a fresher flavour and I prefer the richer colour.
Protein - I'll grant there isn't loads. Grilled halloumi or paneer would work if you want some extra to scatter over, maybe firm tofu at a pinch. You could also use this as a curry sauce base for your protein of choice, rather than on pasta. At which point, yes, you’re just blending kale into a quick-cook butter chicken.
Instructions:
Roughly chop the onion and garlic.
Trim the woody bottom centimetre or so from the base of the cavolo nero leaves, and roughly shred the rest.
Measure out your spices.
Set the onion frying in the butter on a medium heat for about 6 mins, until softening and just slightly colouring. Add the garlic, and cook for another 2 minutes or so until fragrant, and then add the spices.
Stir well and let the spices cook for a minute or so to unlock the aromas, and then work in the tomato puree. Add the cavolo nero and water, stir it all together, and cook, covered for about 10 mins until the cavolo nero is soft.
Add the yoghurt and peas, and simmer for another 5 mins or so to reduce slightly.
This is probably a good time to get the pasta cooking. I'm going to assume it takes about 12 minutes.
Transfer the sauce to a food processor, or attack it with a stick blender in the pan, and get it to a nice smooth consistency.
Once the pasta is done, combine it with the sauce and a little of the pasta water, adding more if you want to thin it down. Check for seasoning, and you're good to go.
I think a little grilled paneer goes a way to lift this, as does some green chilli sliced on top, but it’s completely fine without.
