Caramelized Cabbage and Walnut Pasta
- Total Time
- 25 minutes
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
Yield:4 servings
- ¼cup olive oil
- 3tablespoon unsalted butter
- 2teaspoon cumin seeds
- 2leeks, white and tender green parts, thinly sliced into rings
- 4garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 2pounds finely sliced green cabbage
- Kosher salt (Diamond Crystal)
- 1pound spaghetti or other long pasta
- 4ounces pecorino, grated, plus more for serving
- 2 to 3teaspoons freshly ground black pepper, plus more as needed
- 3 to 4tablespoons lemon juice (from 1 large lemon)
- 1to 1½ cups toasted walnuts, roughly chopped
- Handful of chopped chives (optional)
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
1071 calories; 57 grams fat; 15 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 18 grams monounsaturated fat; 20 grams polyunsaturated fat; 114 grams carbohydrates; 13 grams dietary fiber; 14 grams sugars; 34 grams protein; 1151 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Powered byPreparation
- Step 1
Heat a large Dutch oven or pot over medium. Add the olive oil and butter. When the butter has melted, add cumin seeds and bloom for 15 seconds, then add the leeks, garlic, cabbage and 2 teaspoons salt, and stir for 3 to 4 minutes until wilted. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 10 minutes without stirring. Check every few minutes to make sure the bottom is not burning. If needed, give it a stir.
- Step 2
After 10 minutes, remove the lid from the cabbage and stir. Cover and cook for another 4 to 5 minutes, until it is supersweet and tender. Taste and season with kosher salt.
- Step 3
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the spaghetti and cook according to package instructions. When the pasta is ready, do not drain, but use tongs to drag the pasta out of its cooking water and straight into the pot with the cabbage. Add about 1 cup of pasta cooking water, along with the pecorino and the black pepper. Toss well to combine.
- Step 4
Add lemon juice. Taste, adjusting seasonings with more salt, pepper or lemon, if needed. To serve, scatter with walnuts and finish with more pecorino and chopped chives, if using.
Private Notes
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Cooking Notes
Evelyn
I used to do a stir-fry with cabbage, brown rice, and walnuts. Those three ingredients go perfectly together.
Tara Breck
I'm going to make this with wide egg noodles so it's more like my childhood favorite haluski.
Susan
This recipe lends itself fully to substitutions! What I did have was cabbage, garlic, pasta and lemon. What I didn't have was pecorino cheese, leeks or walnuts. Instead I used feta, shallots and onion and pecans. Delightful! This is now my husband's and my favorite cabbage dish!
Mrs B
I frequently make a cabbage pasta like this--walnuts and all. But sometimes I do it with crispy bits of salami on top instead.
MrsMillspaugh
Made this exactly as directed and it was really great. My daughter is a vegetarian and I’m always looking for filling dishes that will work for her and the rest of the family - this totally fits the bill. Everyone loved it! Don’t skip the chives and lemon juice - they brighten up the richness and makes a great contrast. Thanks for a great recipe!
Max Shapiro
toasted pinoli instead of walnuts.
Lauren
This dish has a lot of potential, but needs some modifications to make it sing. I'm not quite sure why you cook the cabbage with the lid on -- the water just collects and you need to cook it for at least twice as long to get anywhere near caramelized. Next time I think I'll also use Parm for a nuttier taste than the Pecorino offers.
Paul Klein
My mother used to make this. It was very simple: shredded cabbage with walnuts and mixed with bowtie pasta. The cabbage was cooked in butter without all the other spices and special seasonings. It was delicious.
Sharon Simmons
I simmered the veg much longer...almost an hour in the dutch oven until they truly caramelized, which also made the texture more compatible with the pasta. Also, added roasted fennel seeds with the cumin seeds, substituted pecans (because that's what I had), added julienned sugar snap peas, tons of fresh cilantro & parsley and zest & juice of a whole lemon. Served to guests who were actually swooning. A new favorite!!
keirao
Walnuts were fine, but I wasn’t a fan of the long pasta. This needed something shorter, like fusilli or even rigatoni, to grab onto the cabbage and nuts effectively. I’d make it again with that change and maybe add guanciale or pancetta, reducing the salt accordingly.
AJRMF
I'd use any vegan cheese that is marketed as parm, mozz, or white cheddar. Nutritional yeast is always something I add when cooking vegan.
Lyndee
It's Cacio e Pepe with cabbage. It was surprisingly good with the cabbage sliced very thin on a mandoline.
CL
Nice change of pace. Welcome winter weeknight meal. Replaced walnuts with chopped, roasted hulled sunflower seeds (nut allergy). Might try toasted pine nuts next time or even pepitas.
Ken Packman
Bryant Terry has a great tip for removing bitterness from walnuts. After roasting, letting cool, rub them inside a fine sieve. Removes skins and bitterness.
William Wroblicka
Good recipe, but I think the walnuts are miscast in this role.
Carol S.
I was disappointed. I think making this with onions instead of leeks and not covering the pot as someone suggested- would improve the overall taste of this recipe. As is, it was kind of bland, and I definitely used the appropriate quoted amounts of seasoning and spices. Funny, the taste of cabbage was almost non-existent.
Susan
This is a huge hit. I solved the lumpy cheese by using the hot pasta water-simply put your grated cheese in the blender with the hot pasta water, give it a good blend and voila-no pore clumping.
Frank
We followed the recipe as is, though I was concerned the flavors might be mild. But it was very flavorful - we liked the mix of nuts, cheese, and lemon. We didn't add any salt during the cooking, and we liked the result, especially with a salty cheese. I'd use whole wheat pasta or brown rice, and you can lessen the quantify if you want to lean into the cabbage. We used shaped pasta, which mixed right in. Many of the cooking notes suggesting substitutes sound good.
Elle
Delicious. Used slightly less than 1lb of spaghetti and cumin powder instead of seeds - otherwise made exactly as directed and will definitely be making again.
Deb Lagutaris
Disappointed in this dish. Just did not come together; the cabbage mixture did not work well as a sauce for pasta and did not taste as good as it sounded. I ate the cabbage mixture alone the second day.
SeaGal
The Total Time refers at best to the cook time and doesn’t take into account the prep time. Two pounds of cabbage seems like a lot but it cooks down, although it takes much longer than specified. And a pound of pasta is 8 servings not 4. I used about 2/3 of a box and it was still too much. Yes to the lemon juice and walnuts plus a shake of red pepper flakes and fresh parsley, and spring onions for garnish. This was good but it took about an hour to prepare and I have a LOT of leftovers.
A. Vogler
Delicious! The caramelization really tones down the strong cabbage. Would probably substitute pistachios for the walnuts next time
Carol Peters
I added hot pepper flakes & cubes of roast turkey breast I had in the fridge so tasty, & fun to eat with all the different textures
Katelee
Has anyone browned the butter at the start? Any science-y reason not to?
Mono B
Really loved this recipe! I’m usually game to try any dish that combines cabbage and noodles, and the addition of walnuts also intrigued me. I made this recipe with vegan cheese and it worked out. The sauce is rich and silky, lighter than a white sauce. I might just add something besides pasta water, like stock, to give the dish a richer umami flavour, to balance out the lemon juice.
Becky S
Definitely needs way more time to caramelize the cabbage, as others noted
laurie
I made it just as is and we all loved it.
Mary R
Liked it very much. Used at least 3lbs cabbage and next time would cook cabbage on high caramelizing heat from the start. Egg noodles were nice match. Needs some color so do use chives or something else for green.
David Weintraub
Made nearly as written, with fettuccine. As recommended, caramelized the cabbage deeply. I had fresh dill, so used that. This is a keeper.
me
Yum, needs longer to caramelise and less salt. Added lemon zest as well as juice. Otherwise super easy. Wondering if just as good with onion rather than leek?
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