Kale in a Casserole, or Cavolo Nero in Casseruola: What does winter cold bring to mind? Cabbages, the classic winter vegetables. Though I generally associate kale with Tuscan cooking, and in particular with ribollita, a tasty bread soup that's peasant food at its best, it does also grow in other parts of Italy, including Lombardia, which is where this recipe hales from. To serve six:
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Ingredients:
- A head of kale
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 5 ounces (125 g) pancetta, thinly sliced
- An onion, thinly sliced
- A the leaves of a 6-inch (15 cm) sprig of rosemary (about 1/4 cup)
- A half cup of tomato sauce
- A ladle of hot broth or bullion
- Salt and pepper
Preparation:
Wash the kale well and blanch it in boiling water, then drain it and shred it coarsely. In the meantime, heat toe oil in a large pot.Sauté the pancetta, onions, and rosemary leaves in the oil, add the kale, tomato, check seasoning, and bring the mixture to a simmer, and cover it.
In about 20 minutes the sauce will be partially dried; sprinkle the hot broth over the kale and finish cooking it uncovered, until the excess moisture has evaporated. Serve steaming, as a side dish.
Variation: You can also use Savoy cabbage, at which point it becomes Verzada.
