Cabbage Pasta With Garlic and Parmesan (Printable Version)

Comforting Italian-inspired pasta with caramelized cabbage, garlic, and fresh Parmesan. Simple, hearty, and ready in 35 minutes.

# What You'll Need:

→ Pasta

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

→ Vegetables

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

→ Aromatics & Flavor

06 - 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
07 - ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
08 - ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
09 - ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt

→ Finish

10 - 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
11 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
12 - Zest of 1 lemon

# Steps to Follow:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta until al dente according to package instructions. Reserve 1 cup pasta water, then drain.
02 - While pasta cooks, heat olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add sliced cabbage and ½ teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 12-15 minutes until cabbage is caramelized, golden, and tender.
03 - Add garlic and red pepper flakes to the skillet. Cook for 1-2 minutes until fragrant but not browned.
04 - Add cooked pasta to the skillet with 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 additional salt or pepper as desired.
06 - Serve immediately, garnished with parsley and lemon zest if using, and extra Parmesan cheese.

# Additional Tips::

01 -
  • It turns humble cabbage into something deeply savory and almost meaty without any fuss.
  • You can make it on a Tuesday with what you already have and still feel like you cooked something special.
  • The Parmesan melts into the pasta water and creates a silky coat that tastes far richer than the ingredient list suggests.
  • It reheats beautifully and actually tastes better the next day when the flavors settle in together.
02 -
  • Don't skip reserving the pasta water, it's the secret to a silky sauce that actually coats the noodles instead of sliding off.
  • Let the cabbage sit undisturbed in the pan for a few minutes at a time so it develops those sweet caramelized bits.
  • Add the garlic toward the end or it will burn and turn the whole dish bitter.
03 -
  • Grate your Parmesan fresh right before serving, the pre grated stuff won't melt into the sauce the same way.
  • If you have leftover pasta, reheat it gently in a skillet with a splash of water or broth to bring it back to life.
  • Don't be shy with the salt while cooking the cabbage, it needs it to bring out the sweetness.
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