Pasta with cabbage and breadcrumbs is a great weeknight vegetarian meal, perfect for any time of the year! In this recipe tender spaghetti is tossed with caramelized, shredded cabbage and then topped with toasted breadcrumbs and walnuts. Yum!
Hello all!
It’s the start of the year I’m here trying to get more organized. Yep, got some New Year’s resolutions here. I figure even if I backslide and get lazy about it later, at least I’ll have a good foundation for the future.
To that end I’ve picked up my bullet journal again and I’ve been laying out the next few months. Appointments, yearly goals, recipe ideas for late winter and spring. I’m getting it all set up.
The secret I’ve found to bullet journaling is to stay away from the pretty instagram pictures. Those are art projects and most of our journals are never going to look anything like that. Embrace the crossouts, mistakes, and messy handwriting! (Though I will admit to a slight addiction to washi tape and cute stickers.)
And next maybe I’ll clean out my office….scary. š But it’s a resolution worth keeping!
Anyone else out there trying to get more organized? Have a bullet journal and love it? How about trying to eat healthier?
I may not be much help getting you organized, but as for eating healthier, Mediterranean style meals, I’m 100% on that! Today I have for you a simple vegetarian dinner, perfect for a winter’s evening. And later this week I’ll be posting a new pan seared cod recipe. (Which is also completely awesome!)
Both of these recipes are great for keeping the balance in your diet while being tasty in their own right.
And today’s recipe also has the benefit of making use of winter produce! If you’re looking for new ways to use cabbage in the winter, this recipe is here for you.
What do you need?
- Cabbage – One small one or a bag of preshredded will do.
- Dinner Bread – A leftover crusty roll should be about 1 cup.
- Spaghetti – Or other pasta of your choice!
- Walnuts – Chopped and toasted.
- Seasonings/Flavorings – Garlic, parmesan, mustard, herbs, and so on.
How to make this
To make pasta with cabbage, caramelize shredded cabbage in butter and olive oil. Then toss it with cooked spaghetti, parmesan cheese, toasted walnuts, and toasted breadcrumbs.
- Toast the breadcrumbs in olive oil. Mix in mustard and fresh parsley.
- Shred the cabbage and brown it in a skillet in butter and olive oil.
- Cook the pasta. Add to the skillet along with some of the pasta water.
- Toss to make a thick sauce. Add shredded parmesan.
- Top with the walnuts and breadcrumbs.
1. Make the Breadcrumbs
The first step here is to make the breadcrumbs. Fresh breadcrumbs made from dinner bread add so much flavor and crunch to the dish!
Tip: Process leftover dinner bread and put the crumbs into the freezer to always have fresh breadcrumbs on hand for recipes.
Take a couple of slices of dinner bread and put them in the food processor until they are finely ground (with some larger chunks). Then saute them with olive oil until the bread is all toasty.
Work some mustard into the crumbs, then toss in the parsley and give it a taste. Add salt if you want and think it needs it.
2. Make the Pasta and Cabbage
Once the breadcrumbs are made, get the pot of water going and then start browning the cabbage. Keep the heat fairly low and stir it frequently as it caramelizes and softens.
Right at the end, add the garlic and let that soften too. The cabbage is going to end up rather sweet and with a complex flavor just like when you roast vegetables.
3. Assemble the recipe
After the pasta is cooked, add it to the skillet along with some of starchy water. Toss and simmer to bring all the flavors together.
Take the skillet off the heat and stir in the parmesan. Then top with the breadcrumbs and walnuts.
Tip: To streamline prep time, use preshredded cabbage. You will need about 7 oz.
Weeknight Pasta Recipes
While I have lots of pasta recipes in my archives, here are a few I love for a quick weeknight dinner!
- Orecchiette with Cauliflower and Pine Nuts – another great winter vegetarian meal
- Anchovy, Garlic and Lemon Pasta – simple and quick
- Penne alla Vodka with Chicken and Chorizo – fast and creamy tomato sauce
- Orecchiette with Leeks, Pancetta, and Corn – creamy with no cream
If you try my recipe for Pasta with Browned Cabbage and Breadcrumbs, I would love to hear from you in the comments with your experience and rating! And Iām happy to answer any questions you might have.
You can connect with me by subscribing to my emails (see the form in the sidebar or below the recipe card), liking my FACEBOOK page, or by following me on PINTEREST.
– Happy Eating, Annemarie
Pasta with Browned Cabbage and Breadcrumbs
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
Breadcrumbs
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 cup fresh breadcrumbs
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
- kosher salt, to taste
Spaghetti and Cabbage
- 10 oz spaghetti
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 7 cups shredded cabbage, about 1 small cabbage
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350F. Spread out the walnuts on a baking sheet. Toast for 5 minutes. Set aside.
Breadcrumbs
- Heat the olive oil in a large nonstick skillet. Add the breadcrumbs and coat them in the oil, then toast them over medium heat until they are browned and crisp.
- Take the skillet off the heat.
- Add the mustard to the skillet and mix it into the breadcrumbs, making sure you don't leave any clumps of mustard.
- Mix in the parsley and taste. Add salt as needed. Move to a bowl and set aside. Wipe off the skillet.
Pasta and Cabbage
- Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil. Salt the water and cook the spaghetti one minute less than the package directions.
- While the water is heating and the pasta cooking, make the rest of the dish.
- In your skillet, heat the butter and olive oil over medium heat.
- Once the butter is melted and bubbling, add the cabbage. Cook stirring frequently until it is soft and browned, about 10-12 minutes.
- Add garlic and saute for a minute.
- Once the pasta is ready, scoop out 1 cup of the water. Then drain and add it and the water to the skillet.
- Toss the pasta with the cabbage and water until much of the water has been absorbed and you have a thick sauce.
- Take the skillet off the heat and stir in the parmesan cheese.
- Serve topped with the breadcrumbs and toasted walnuts along with more parmesan.
Notes
- Walnuts: While you are prepping the ingredients, toast the walnuts.
- Breadcrumbs: Use a rustic dinner bread, not a sandwich bread or soft rolls. Softer breads are usually sweeter and that becomes too much sweetness with the the rest of the dish.
- Cabbage: For a weeknight shortcut, use preshredded.
- Variation: If you are looking for a 'meat-light' dinner and not a vegetarian meal, add a teaspoon or two of anchovy paste to the recipe when you are tossing things together in the skillet. It gives everything a little extra zing.
Kirsten/ComfortablyDomestic says
I haven’t hopped aboard the bullet journal bandwagon, but I’m a decorative list maker. Does that count? Caramelizing cabbage brings out such a unique flavor profile. Tossing it with a simple pasta is a great idea.
justalittlebitofbacon says
I do love my bullet journal. It is only as complicated as I want it to be and writing things down helps me remember what to do. And everyone needs their own style! If lists are yours, keep at it! š
Trish @ Rhubarbarians says
Cabbage grows like mad here and we got our CSA bin over the summer we were getting 2 heads of it a week. Where was this recipe when we needed it? I’ve grown to love cabbage, and I am definitely bookmarking this for the next time we have a ton of it to use up. Thank you!
justalittlebitofbacon says
Heh. That’s why I don’t do a CSA. š Sometimes too much a good thing and too often I’m the only one who will eat the veggies. (Though we all enjoyed this cabbage recipe!)
Mackenzie says
I’ve never thought to add cabbage to a pasta dish that isn’t lo mein. Our family absolutely adores cabbage though and almost always has some on hand, so this pasta recipe is great for when we need to throw together a dinner that is comforting and familiar. All of my kids absolutely love all the flavors in this dish and now won’t be able to stop requesting it!
justalittlebitofbacon says
Cabbage is such a good winter veggie that I’ve been trying to add it to more dishes.
Debra says
OMG…this is it. When I was young, there was a pasta dish at our favorite restaurant and I’ve always wondered about the texture on the spaghetti….now I know! It’s bred crumbs. Duh! I am going to wait until my sister visits to make this. Talk about nostalgia!!
justalittlebitofbacon says
Glad I could help! Breadcrumbs are a common and tasty addition to simple pasta dishes.