A vibrant twist on the classic Italian aglio e olio, this sauce combines deeply toasted garlic and a hint of chilli with a luscious green puree. Karen Martini's recipe from her new cookbook Cook: Green requires a high-speed blender or Thermomix for a silky smooth finish.
Ingredients
- 230ml extra virgin olive oil
- 4 garlic cloves, peeled and halved
- 1 red bird's eye chilli, sliced into rings
- 200g silverbeet (Swiss chard) or cavolo nero, stalks removed, torn into small pieces
- 150g baby English spinach
- Half a bunch flat-leaf (Italian) parsley, leaves picked
- 120g Parmigiano Reggiano, very finely grated, plus extra for serving
- 500g dried short pasta, such as paccheri, penne or orecchiette
- Burrata or stracciatella, torn, for serving
- Flaked salt and freshly ground black pepper, to season
Method
Step 1: Toast the garlic and chilli
Place the oil and garlic in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook until golden, about 6 minutes, taking care not to burn. You want a deep, toasty flavour. Remove from heat, then add the chilli slices.
Step 2: Prepare the green puree
Cook the silverbeet, spinach and parsley in a saucepan of boiling salted water for 3½ minutes. Drain and press out most of the liquid while still hot. Finely chop, then transfer to a high-speed blender or Thermomix. Blitz briefly, then add the very hot garlic-chilli-oil mixture along with a few tablespoons of water. Blitz again, adding a little more water if needed to achieve a smooth sauce. Add the finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano and blitz until smooth. Season generously with salt and pepper.
Step 3: Cook the pasta and assemble
Cook the pasta in boiling salted water according to packet instructions until al dente. Drain, reserving a small amount of pasta water. Return the pasta to the pot with a splash of the reserved water and toss through until the sauce clings to the pasta. Sprinkle with extra parmesan and serve immediately, topped with torn burrata or stracciatella.
Tip for extra crunch
For added texture, sprinkle toasted walnuts, toasted pine nuts, or crispy flash-fried cavolo nero leaves over the finished dish.
Serves 4-6.
This is an edited extract from Cook: Green by Karen Martini, published by Hardie Grant Books.
