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1
Put two large pots of heavily salted water on to boil.
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2
Blanch the cavolo nero in rapidly boiling water for 2 minutes.
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3
Drain, and cool the greens on a baking sheet.
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4
When they have cooled, squeeze out the excess water with your hands.
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5
Heat a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat for 2 minutes.
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6
Pour in 1/4 cup olive oil.
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7
Add the rosemary sprig and 1 crumbled chile, and let them sizzle in the oil about a minute.
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8
Turn the heat down to medium-low and add the sliced onion.
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9
Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grindings of black pepper.
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10
Cook a couple of minutes, then stir in half the sliced garlic.
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11
Continue cooking gently until the onion is soft and starting to color slightly, another 5 to 7 minutes.
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12
Add the cavolo nero and 2 more tablespoons olive oil, stirring with a wooden spoon to coat the greens with the oil.
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13
Season with a heaping 1/4 teaspoon salt, and cook the cavolo nero slowly, over low heat, about 30 minutes, stirring often, until the greens turn a dark, almost black color and get slightly crispy around the edges.
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14
(I usually alternate turning the heat up a little bit, so the cavolo sizzles, and then turning it back down to low, so it stews.)
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15
Turn off the heat and set aside.
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16
When its cooled, remove the rosemary and chile.
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17
Preheat the oven to 375F.
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18
While the greens are cooking, toss the breadcrumbs with 2 tablespoons olive oil.
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19
Spread them on a baking sheet and toast 8 to 10 minutes, stirring once or twice, until golden brown and crispy.
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20
Blanch the cauliflower in rapidly boiling water for 4 to 5 minutes, until just tender and not too crunchy.
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21
Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a baking sheet to cool.
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22
Bring the water back to a boil and drop in the pasta.
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23
Heat a large saute pan or Dutch oven over high heat for 2 minutes.
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24
Pour in 1/4 cup olive oil and wait a minute.
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25
Add the diced onion, the remaining crumbled chile, and the thyme.
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26
Saute over medium heat 2 minutes, and then add the anchovy.
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27
Stir well with a wooden spoon to break up the anchovy and dissolve it into the onion.
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28
Turn the heat up to high and add the cauliflower.
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29
Stir well, to coat the cauliflower with the oil.
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30
Add the remaining sliced garlic, and season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grindings of black pepper.
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31
Add the remaining 1/4 cup olive oil, and saute the cauliflower 8 to 10 minutes, until its caramelized, scraping the pan continuously with a wooden spoon, and smashing the cauliflower a little to make small pieces.
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32
Add the cavolo nero to the pot, and stir well to combine.
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33
When the pasta is al dente, set aside 1 cup of the cooking water.
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34
Drain the pasta and add it to the vegetables, stirring and tossing well to combine and coat the noodles.
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35
The pasta will fry a little in the oil and stick to the pan; this is good, so keep scraping and tossing with the wooden spoon.
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36
After a few minutes, when the pasta is well coated and has a little color on it, add 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta water to the pan.
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37
Stir to combine, and add more water if necessary.
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38
Taste for seasoning.
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39
Add the currantpine nut relish and stir to combine.
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40
Transfer the pasta to a large warm platter and shower the toasted breadcrumbs over the entire dish.
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41
If you cant find torchio, choose a pasta with lots of nooks and crannies to capture all those delicious ingredients.
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42
You can stew the cavolo, blanch the cauliflower, and toast the breadcrumbs in advance.
