BLACK KALE - FIENO
EXTRAORDINARY FOODS, 10.01.26
“Extraordinary Foods” is Arclinea’s exploration of our connections to the cultural significance and environmental and historic contexts of food. Through a range of recipes, ingredients, expert perspectives, this celebration of diverse food heritage, flavours and traditions will focus on the preservation of local and seasonal ingredients through cooking and conviviality.
BLACK KALE
Black kale is a dark leafy vegetable with a strong and slightly bitter taste that is typical of Tuscan cuisine. Rich in vitamins, fiber and antioxidants, it is the perfect ingredient with which to enrich soups, risottos, omelettes and other similarly nourishing dishes.
Cavatelli with black kale, buttermilk and blue cornflower
Ingredients (serves approximately 6).
Black kale pasta
1 kg black kale
500 g durum wheat semolina
150 g water
Garlic, to taste
Extra virgin olive oil, to taste
Chili pepper, to taste
Buttermilk
500 g butter
Lemon juice, to taste
Garnish
Blue cornflower petals
Procedure
Black kale pasta
Clean and cook 1 kg of black kale in a pot with garlic, olive oil, and chili pepper. Once fully cooked, blend until you obtain a dense purée, then strain through a fine sieve.
In a bowl, combine 500 g of durum wheat semolina, 150 g of water, and 125 g of black kale purée. Knead until smooth and homogeneous. Wrap the dough in plastic film and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
After resting, roll the dough into ropes (as for gnocchi) and cut into 0.2 cm pieces. Shape each piece into cavatelli using a gnocchi board. Let dry on a work surface for at least 20 minutes.
Black kale cream
Blanch the leftover kale trimmings in salted water until very soft. Blend with extra virgin olive oil and salt, then strain.
Combine this cream with a portion of the previously prepared kale purée. The final consistency should be more fluid than the purée used for the pasta dough.
Buttermilk
Gently melt 500 g of butter over low heat. Once melted, separate the white buttermilk from the clarified butter. Allow to cool, then adjust with a few drops of lemon juice.
Plating
Cook the cavatelli in salted boiling water, then transfer to the black kale cream and toss with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
Arrange in a shallow bowl. Spoon the buttermilk over the pasta in an unstructured manner and finish with blue cornflower petals.
“The kale finds absolute expression in the form of a traditional Italian pasta — the entire vegetable is used, with zero waste.”
FIENO, WITH FABRIZIO BONELLI
FIENO is located - both geographically and conceptually - between the countryside and the city. Its culinary vision is rooted in the celebration of seasonal, locally sourced ingredients, with a focus on carefully selected producers and wineries that share a deep ethical commitment to sustainability. Chef de Cuisine Fabrizio Bonelli first pursued scientific studies in secondary school, followed by a degree in Economics and Business. He later chose to fully dedicate himself to the culinary world, completing the advanced cookery programme at Alma. His philosophy is encapsulated in a quote from the renowned chef he often cites, Marco Pierre White: “A great chef accepts that nature is the true artist, and he is merely the cook.” This reverence for nature translates into a cooking style that minimises intervention and honours the integrity of each ingredient—an approach that defines his menu.
