Cabbage Pasta With Garlic Parmesan (Print View)

Caramelized cabbage tossed with pasta, garlic, and Parmesan for a comforting Italian-inspired weeknight meal.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 12 oz spaghetti or linguine
02 - Salt for boiling water

→ Vegetables

03 - 1 medium head green cabbage, about 1.5 lbs, cored and thinly sliced
04 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
05 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

→ Aromatics and Flavor

06 - 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
07 - 0.5 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, optional
08 - 0.5 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
09 - 0.75 teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more to taste

→ Finish

10 - 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving
11 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, optional
12 - Zest of 1 lemon, optional

# Directions:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta until al dente according to package instructions. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water, then drain.
02 - While the pasta cooks, heat olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sliced cabbage and 0.5 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 12 to 15 minutes, until the cabbage is caramelized, golden, and tender.
03 - Add garlic and red pepper flakes to the skillet. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until fragrant but not browned.
04 - Add the cooked pasta to the skillet with the cabbage. Toss everything together, adding reserved pasta water as needed to loosen the sauce.
05 - Stir in Parmesan cheese and black pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning with more salt or pepper as desired.
06 - Serve immediately, garnished with parsley and lemon zest if using, and extra Parmesan on the side.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It transforms humble cabbage into something golden, sweet, and unexpectedly elegant.
  • You probably have everything you need already sitting in your kitchen right now.
  • It comes together in about half an hour with almost no effort and tastes like you spent all day on it.
  • Leftovers reheat beautifully and somehow taste even better the next day.
02 -
  • Don't rush the cabbage, if you crank the heat too high it'll steam instead of caramelize and you'll miss out on all that sweetness.
  • Reserve more pasta water than you think you need, it's your secret weapon for bringing everything together and you can't get it back once you've drained the pot.
  • Taste before you serve, cabbage and pasta both need salt and it's easy to under-season this dish if you're not paying attention.
03 -
  • Use the largest skillet you have so the cabbage has room to spread out and caramelize evenly instead of steaming in a crowded pan.
  • Grate your Parmesan fresh right before you use it, the difference in flavor and texture is night and day compared to the pre-shredded kind.
  • If you want a little more depth, add a splash of white wine to the cabbage after it caramelizes and let it cook off before adding the pasta.
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