Cinghiale with Kale Recipe

• ½ cup EVOO
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed or grated 
• Salt
• 1 large bunch of flat leaf kale,  stemmed and coarsely chopped or torn

For The Ground Cinghiale Ragu and Fusilli Lunghi:

• 3 tablespoons EVOO
• 2 carrots, finely chopped 
• 2 ribs celery, from the heart, finely chopped
• 2 onions, finely chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• Salt and pepper
• 2 pounds ground cinghiale or ground pork
• 2 tablespoons rosemary, finely chopped
• 7-8 juniper berries
• 1 large bay leaf 
• 2 cups red wine
• 2 cups stock
• 2 24-ounce jars of passata
• 2 pounds Fusilli Lunghi
• 1 cup romano and pecorino cheese, combined

For The Kale Puree:

Warm oil over low heat in a large saute pan with garlic to let the oil infuse for a few minutes then remove from heat.

Bring a pot of water to a boil, season with salt and cook the kale for 2 minutes or so then transfer to an ice water bath and cool. Drain and dry greens.  

Puree kale with garlic oil and a big pinch of salt in a high speed blender. Add a little of the kale cooking water to thin out as needed, puree until smooth and reserve.

For The Ground Cinghiale Ragu and Fusilli Lunghi:

Bring a large pot of water to boil for pasta. Salt the water to season it.  

Heat oil in a Dutch oven or large sauce pot over medium heat. Add carrots, celery, onion, garlic, salt and pepper and cook for a few minutes to soften.   

Scoot the vegetables off to the sides of the pan and add meat to the center of the pan. Season with salt, pepper and rosemary and juniper and add in bay leaf.  Brown the meat then add wine and reduce by half.

Stir in stock and passata and let simmer until thickened.

Cook pasta 1 minute less than directions and reserve 1 cup water just before draining.

Toss pasta with kale puree and starchy cooking water as needed and transfer to a large serving bowl and sprinkle the cheeses on top. Top the pasta with the ragu.