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.
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.
