Tuscan kale {cavolo nero} is in practically every food magazine out there. You've noticed it too? Instead of doing anything fancy with the cavolo nero we made it in a traditional Italian style. We sautéed the delicious green in olive oil with garlic and mushrooms. A touch of red pepper for spice and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice brightens up the kale. We finish with Parmesan cheese.
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Why you'll love this recipe...
- easy to make.
- nutritious.
- great tasting.
Our family loves dark green vegetables, especially the Lacinato kale. Once it is gently sautéd in olive oil with garlic and pepper flakes it has an appealing flavor we enjoy with our grilled meats.
Ingredients
- Tuscan kale
- Fresh Garlic
- Mushrooms
- Red Pepper Flakes
- Chicken Broth -- may use vegetable broth
- Fresh Lemon Juice
- Parmesan cheese
Rediscovery of Tuscan Kale
It's as if this variety of kale is a new discovery with all the hoopla. But the thing is, it originated in the European Mediterranean prior to the Middle Ages. Frankly, until recently, it was considered one of the Italian Cuisine's best-kept secrets.
In northern Italy, this lacinato kale is loved and it's an essential part of their traditional dishes.
Lacinato Kale gains fame
A lot of credit for the popularity of Tuscan Kale or Cavolo Nero is attributed to the famous London restaurant The River Café. The restaurant featured dinosaur kale heavily in its cookbook "River Café Cookbook" published in 1996.
Eager cooks clamored for this delicious vegetable so that now it's not that difficult to find. I found my Tuscan Kale at Trader Giottos already cleaned and cut into bite-size pieces . . . perfect for this recipe.
Cavolo Nero is an essential ingredient in the famous Tuscan soup Ribollita -- the "reboiled" bean soup thickened with bread and drizzled with olive oil, which I will feature later.
The Cavolo Nero can be used in a wide range of dishes including risotto, pasta, and frittata.
How to cook Tuscan Kale
The tastiest and simplest way to make black kale is probably the most common in Italy:
- sautéed in good olive oil
- flavored with garlic
- add mushrooms
- season with lemon, red pepper flakes and sea salt
- finish with a touch of Parmesan cheese
Just like most of the Italian cuisine recipes, they are simple but delicious. I had my soffritto all made up so I used it for the olive oil -- a nice bonus of flavors.
📖 Recipe
Tuscan Kale with Mushrooms and Garlic {Cavolo Nero con Funghi e Aglio
Ingredients
- I 10-ounce package Tuscan Kale coarsely chopped - Trader Joe has it all ready to use
- 6 ounces crimini or button mushrooms sliced ( about 2 cups)
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil or ⅓ cup soffritto-- q.b. or more
- 4 cloves garlic peeled and minced
- ¼ tsp. red pepper flakes -- q.b. or more if you like
- ¼ tsp. sea salt -- q.b. or more if you like
- ½ cup chicken broth or Progresso's Tuscany broth I really like this blend I use it for everything -- I am not being paid to say that you may have to add a little bit more
- Lemon juice from ½ squeezed lemon
- Parmesan Cheese -- freshly grated for sprinkling on top
Instructions
- Preheat a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté the garlic in soffritto or olive oil for about two minutes, being careful not to burn it.
- Add the mushrooms and sprinkle them with the salt so that they start giving up their moisture. Let them cook for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring often -- until they are lightly browned.
- Add the kale and the pepper and using tongs to turn them sauté until they begin to wilt. Add the broth and cover the pan. Cook for 10 more minutes checking to make sure the pan doesn't dry out. Add more broth if needed. The kale should be tender and cooked down quite a bit.
- Once it is done add the fresh lemon juice and sprinkle with freshly grated parmesan cheese.
Notes
- You can use regular kale if you like or cannot find the Tuscan Kale.
- I always like to use broth instead of water because it adds more flavor to the dish.
Nutrition
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Priya
I've never bought this kale before but found some in the reduced section so picked it up. I'm glad I found this recipe as I was just going to bake it like I do with curly kale but this was so simple and tasty. I'll be honest I didn't weigh or measure anything as I'm too lazy, but the flavours work really well together (I swapped the cheese for nutritional yeast) and I immediately had a second helping! Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Marisa Franca
Hi Priya! Thank you for your sweet comment. I'm so glad you like it. We eat kale and spinach this way a lot. That's very clever of you to use nutritional yeast instead of cheese for the flavor. That's good to know for our readers who don't eat dairy. xoxo
Rachel
Super good and super easy.
Marisa Franca
Hi, Rachel! So glad you enjoyed it. xoxo
Amy F.
Couple of quick questions:
1. I’m not near a TJ, is the kale ribbed? Sliced?
2. Are the 4 cloves peeled? Minced or chopped or sliced or whole?
FWIW, I crushed the garlic, & ribbed and coarsely chopped the kale.
Marisa Franca
Hi Amy!! Boy you really caught me in sloppy instructions. This is an old recipe and I'm glad you brought it to my attention. The kale is actually chopped like you'd find Romaine in pieces. And the cloves are peeled and minced. Did you like the taste? We make it all the time and I just "make" it without reading the recipe. Hope you're having a great weekend. xoxo
Michelle
That salad looks so good. I love kale salad, and I have a standby I make all the time. This one definitely neds to make it into my rotation though!
Marisa Franca
Hi, Michelle! We do love our Tuscan Kale -- and we add mushrooms to just about everything.
Veena Azmanov
Love the flavors in this recipe. Love the combination of kale and mushrooms. This sounds so wonderful. Can't wait to try it. Pinning for later.
Marisa Franca
Thank you, Veena. We do love our mushrooms. ❤️
Denise
I love all the ingredients in this dish.....actually any vegetable with olive oil and garlic and I'm ready to dig in. This would be a great side dish for just about any huh?
Gloria @ Homemade & Yummy
Well I love all the flavours and ingredients here. We have kale here in Canada, not sure if it is the same as Tuscan kale? As for Tuscany....I really would love to visit there one day.