A SUPPER CLUB - Cavolo Nero Pesto with Tagliatelle recipe
I made this recipe for one of my first ever public supper clubs called “Chuffed and Stuffed”, so it is very dear to me indeed.
At that time, I had never made tagliatelle before prepping for that event (I often get too excited and do things without thinking twice LOL), so I said to my friend Alessandra (collaborator during that time) “why not? Let’s do it”. It turned out that we had to make tagliatelle for 42 people and without ever having experienced serving all those people in one go. And, I must say, I don’t quite remember how much pesto we had made, but it could have definitely fed another 20 people as I lasted in my fridge afterwards for quite some time.
Here it’s my recipe for you beautiful people!
Serves 6/8 people
Tagliatelle:
400g organic all purpose flour (I was in England at that time)
4 eggs (232gr/252gr without shell)
Cavolo Nero Pesto:
1 cup of almonds
1 cup of pine nuts
A head of Cavolo Nero (leaves only, but you can use the stem for a veggie stock)
1 clove of garlic
50g Parmesan cheese (grated)
50g pecorino cheese (grated)
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Pinch of salt
Method:
To make the tagliatelle:
Place the flour and salt on a clean surface and make a well in the center then crack the eggs into it. Using a fork, begin to incorporate the flour with the eggs slowly, until a dough begins to form. Once the flour has all been mixed in, use your hands to start kneading the pieces of dough together.
Make sure you spend plenty of time kneading to form a nice, smooth dough. Don't be afraid to use extra flour to stop your dough from sticking to the surface and/or extra water (it depends on the days and temperature so if it is too dry, I damp my hands with a bit of water).
Once you're happy with your dough, wrap it firmly in cling film if you need to refrigerate it or under a ceramic/glass bowl for half an hour minimum. When the dough is chilled, you'll need to roll it out. You can either do this with a pasta machine or by hand with a rolling pin. Both methods require you to break the dough into smaller portions (about the size of a big orange), as it's very hard to try and roll one big piece!
You can take part in one of my pasta workshops to learn more about the whole process. Click here for more info!
To make the pesto:
Start by washing the cavolo nero leaves and submerging them into a pan of boiling water for 15 minutes. Then drain the leaves and place them in a bowl of cold water to help maintain the lovely green colour. Once cool, drain the cavolo again and place into a food processor with the almonds, pine nuts, garlic, salt and extra virgin olive oil. Blend until smooth and transfer into a bowl.
Boil the tagliatelle until “al dente” and drain. Add the pesto (check it here on how to blend pesto into any primi piatti) and mix it all together. Enjoy it with a drizzle of olive oil and freshly grated Parmesan if you are not vegan indeed.
And now, can’t wait to see you busy in the kitchen while making a fresh and delicious, all made from scratch, recipe for your loved ones!
To find out more about our pasta workshops & courses, click HERE.
Our pasta workshops offer a truly unique experience in learning the art of pasta making, and it doesn’t matter if you are a beginner or not - we have various options! And of course, a glass of Prosecco and a playlist in the background makes it an immersive experience.
