sautéed Italian kale recipe

Learn how to make authentic Tuscan sautéed kale (cavolo nero), one of the simplest and most traditional vegetable side dishes in Italian home cooking.

TUSCANY’S MOST BELOVED LEAFY GREEN

If one vegetable could represent Tuscan home cooking, it would probably be cavolo nero.

Known in English as black kale or Tuscan kale, it appears throughout the region’s traditional cuisine—from hearty soups like Ribollita to rustic bruschetta, pasta dishes, and simple vegetable sides like this one.

It’s not a glamorous ingredient.

It’s simply one that generations of Tuscan families have known how to transform into something deeply satisfying.

sauteed italian kale
Italian kale and pancetta

A PERFECT EXAMPLE OF ITALIAN HOME COOKING

This recipe couldn’t be simpler.

Onion.

Good olive oil.

A little pancetta or guanciale.

And plenty of patience.

Unlike many modern recipes that celebrate crisp vegetables, Italian home cooking often lets leafy greens cook slowly until they become soft, silky, and full of flavor.

The result isn’t just tender kale—it’s kale that has absorbed every bit of the aromatic olive oil and pancetta.

HOW TO MAKE SAUTÉED TUSCAN KALE

Once the kale is cleaned and the tough stems removed, everything happens in one pan.

Cook the onion and pancetta until fragrant, add the kale, then slowly braise it with a little broth until completely tender.

Serve it as a side dish, over toasted country bread, or even tossed with pasta.

Simple food at its best.

Braised cavolo nero recipe #gourmetproject
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Sautéed Italian kale

Course Side Dish
Cuisine Tuscan
Servings 2
Author Claudia Rinaldi | Gourmet Project

Ingredients

  • 1 big bunch of kale
  • 1 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 3.5 oz guanciale or pancetta 100 gr
  • 1 onion
  • 2-3 cups vegetable light broth

Instructions

  1. Clean the kale and remove the stems.

  2. Peel and dice the onion and dice the pancetta.

  3. Heat the olive oil in a skillet and brown the pancetta and the onion for a couple of minutes.

  4. Add the kale leaves, mix, and cook for a couple of minutes.

  5. Add a spoonful or two of broth every now and then and cook over low heat until the kale is completely cooked - fork tender. It should take a little less than an hour.

  6. Serve as a side dish, over toasted bread, or to season pasta.

Enjoy your Tuscan kale.

Claudia