Not just a pretty name...

Cavalo Nero. What a beautiful sounding vegetable. Much better than Tuscan Kale which is the other name it goes by. I think my parents would have had a lot more luck in getting me to eat my most hated of vegetables as a child if they had called them by their Italian pronunciation " Eat your cavoletti di Bruxelles (Brussels sprouts)! ,"Ooh how exotic! Sure, pile them up thanks Mum!".

Yes, dress it up and make it sound pretty and I am sold.

In fact, it was the mere name of this vegetable that piqued my curiosity to seek it out and cook it. I first learnt of it years ago watching Ruth Rogers and Rose Gray cook with it on The River Cafe when it was on Lifestyle Food. Since then, I have seen it pop up in recipes each winter either in various guises. Last month in Delicious Magazine, there was a Mario Batali dish; orecchiette with cavolo nero & pork sausage. I made this and it was great - no, it was wonderful, the strong and almost bitter flavour when so well with the sweet and salty sausage and the crispy breadcrumbs. But it was not something I felt I could just throw together on a weeknight.

  
I loved the pork flavours with the cavalo nero and so for my twist on the dish I used speck because, well, that is what I had in the fridge (but pancetta, prosciutto or bacon would also be very tasty). The chili was at the request of my partner in crime, comma remover and gamer extraordinaire because this dish was also for him.

I also wanted to share this link from the Bon Appetit website with you that I have been holding on to since before my blog was just a twinkle in my eye.

This has completely change the way I make pasta sauces. By following the instructions, you can be sure to get a sauce that is the right consistency and coats every strand or piece of pasta, every time.  

Orecchiette with Cavalo Nero, Speck and Chili
Inspired by Mario Batali's orecchiette with cavolo nero & pork sausage and here

2 Bunches of Cavalo Nero, this seems like a lot but it is important to remove the tough stems before cooking and once you do, it wont seem like loads.
Chili flakes to your taste
Speck chopped in to lardons, again to your taste, I used about 300 grams.
Lots of grated Parmesan - about a cup 
2 anchovies
1 clove garlic, finely sliced
Orecchiette or penne if you can't find it. 
Olive oil - about a tablespoon
Extra Virgin Olive oil to serve
Salt and pepper to taste. 

1. First put a large pot of salted water on to boil, then add the orecchiette to the pot.
2. In a deep pan, heat the olive oil on medium and add the speck, garlic, anchovies and chili flakes. Cook, stirring regularly until the speck is crispy and the anchovies have all but melted away. Watch very carefully to prevent the garlic and anchovies burning, if you notice they are going browner then you would like, add a small amount of the pasta water to stop this. 
3. Add the cavalo nero to the pot of pasta about 5 minutes into its cooking time, take it out when tender using some tongs and put it straight into the pan with the speck along with about 1 cup of the starchy pasta water. Toss the ingredients together and simmer until reduced. Season to taste.
4. When the orecchiette is almost al dente, scoop it out of the pot with a slotted spoon. Add it directly to your sauce.Add a good handful of freshly grated Parmesan and mix. Your dish should look thick and each piece of orecchiette coated with the sauce.
5. Drizzle the extra virgin olive oil, and grate with more Parmesan.