Great British Food - Christmas 2025

Fussiloniwith CavoloNero,Walnut &Pecorino Pesto Pesto is famouslymade using a lot of basil, which is at its best in summer, so I was excited to discover this winter versionmade using cavolo nero at Trattoria La Casalinga in Florence. It’s a delicious dark green take on a summery classic for when the chilly nights are setting in and basil isn’t at its best but ‘black cabbages’ are. I love this rich pesto and oftenmake a jar of it when cavolo nero is in season to use over pasta, in a silky risotto or simply as a sauce for boiled potatoes or steamed vegetables. Serves: 4 Prepare: 5minutes Cook: 15minutes 500g fusilloni pasta (pappardelle is also delicious) Zest of 1 lemon Grated parmesan Sea salt Olive oil starchy pasta cooking water. Drain the pasta and toss it through the pesto, using a little of the reserved cooking water to loosen the pesto if needed. 9. Toss in the lemon zest, some parmesan, salt and a drizzle more olive oil. Serve immediately. NOTE The pesto will keep in a clean jar or container in the fridge for up to 4 days; just drizzle a little olive oil over the top before sealing. It’s delicious on toast, stirred through a plain risotto or drizzled over roast vegetables. PinkRadicchio &BloodOrange Salad I love how the coldermonths send us bright pops of colour just whenwe need cheering up, blood orange and pink radicchio being two of my favourites. This salad is a celebration of these vibrant ingredients and is also a great combination of flavours. If you can’t find a blood orange, you can simply use a regular one – in fact, this salad is also delicious with no orange at all. Serves: 4 Prepare: 10minutes 2 heads of pink radicchio Large handful of lamb’s lettuce orwatercress For the pesto: 50gwalnuts or hazelnuts 1 bunch of cavolo nero 1/2 garlic clove, peeled 4 tbsps olive oil 2 tbsps finely grated pecorino or parmesan Sea salt 1. To make the pesto, spread the walnuts on a baking tray and lightly toast for5 minutes in an oven preheated to 180°C (350°F) fan- forced. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool. 2. Fill a bowl with water and a few ice cubes to refresh the cavolo nero in after blanching. (You can skip the ice bath step, but your pesto will be much darker green rather than vibrant in colour.) 3. Bring a large pasta pot of well-salted water to a rolling boil. 4. Strip the cavolo nero leaves from the stalks and either discard the stalks or reserve to use in a stock; you should have about 100 g (31/2 oz) cavolo nero leaves. Blanch the cavolo nero with the garlic clove in the boiling water for 3 minutes if the leaves are small and tender, or 4 minutes if they seem particularly rubbery and tough. 5. Once cooked, use tongs or a slotted spoon to transfer the cavolo nero to the ice bath for a few seconds, reserving the cooking water. Drain the cavolo nero thoroughly in a colander over the sink. 6. Transfer the cavolo to a blender and roughly chop for about a minute. With the motor still running, drizzle in the olive oil. Add the walnuts, cheese and a generous pinch of salt and keep chopping until smooth(ish) and green. Add 2 tablespoons of the cooking water and briefly blend. 7. Put the pesto in your pasta serving bowl. Bring the pan of cavolo nero cooking water back to a rolling boil, adding more water if needed to fully submerge the pasta. Add the fusilloni, give it a good stir so that it doesn’t stick together, and cook until al dente (check the packet instructions). 8. Halfway through the pasta cooking time, stir 2 tablespoons of the pasta cooking water through the pesto to loosen it a little. Before draining the pasta, scoop out a mugful of the starchy pasta coop outa mugful of the “This is a delicious dark green take on a summery classic for when the chilly nights are setting in and basil isn’t at its best but ‘black cabbages’ are” RECI PES | AMBER GUINNESS greatbr i t ishfoodawards.com 82