Green Mac & Cheese (But not really Mac & Cheese at all)

Mac and cheese? Kind of. A health kick? Also kind of. Basically, this is what happens when you want comfort food but also don’t want to feel like a melted block of dairy afterward. Mezzi rigatoni because I said so. Cavolo nero because it’s leafy, fibrous, and apparently all the rage. This is inspired by a dish from one of my favourite restaurants in London, Manteca. In a city drowning in restaurant choices, going back to the same spot feels wrong—but not Manteca. Five visits in and I still have no regrets. Bloody love it.

Green Mac & Cheese

Green Mac & Cheese Recipe

Serves 4 Prep Time: 15 mins Cook time: 20 Difficulty Easy

Ingredients:

The Green Sauce

• 400g cavolo nero (or kale)

• 3 garlic cloves

• 60g olive oil

• Half a lemon

• 1 heaped tsp chilli flakes

• Big pinch of Salt

The Rest

• 400g rigatoni (mezzi, ideally)

• Big knob of butter (you know what I mean)

• 100g cheddar

• 100g parmesan
  

Method:

Green Sauce

1. Wash the cavolo nero and strip off the stalks. Chop them up. Leaves too.

2. Get a pot of salted water boiling. Chuck in the stalks, simmer for 2 mins. Add the leaves, another 2 mins. Drain (you can keep that water, for the pasta).

3. Blend the kale with olive oil, garlic, lemon, chilli flakes, and salt until it looks like green gold. Set it aside.

Now, The Pasta Situation

4. Boil the pasta in salty water (same water if you listened) and cook it one minute under the instructions.

5. Melt a hefty knob of butter in a pan, then stir in the green sauce on low heat.

6. Add the pasta with a ladle of its water. Mix. Coat. Stir in the cheese. Watch it melt.

7. Let it cook through to al dente perfection. Season to taste.

Top Tip (For When You’re Feeling Extra)

• Chuck it into a dish, cover it in more cheddar, and grill it until it’s crispy and golden.
  

There you go—comforting, green, and just a little bit naughty. Enjoy.