Papardelle with Cavolo Nero Salsa

The dark moody cavolo nero leaves, a staple of Tuscany, are plentiful during winter, so go for the small sweet leaves of this cabbage relative. Here, I use it to make something akin to salsa verde to give a gossamer-thin coating to the wide ribbons of pasta. Garlic and anchovy seem such natural flavour partners with this vegetable and the whole thing is as easy as pie to make. The salsa is also an excellent accompaniment to rare roast beef, particularly if you replace the parmesan with gorg