Caramelized Cabbage and Walnut Pasta
Published Jan. 17, 2023
- Total Time
- 25 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- 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)
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.
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Preparation
- 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
Comments
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!
I used to do a stir-fry with cabbage, brown rice, and walnuts. Those three ingredients go perfectly together.
I'm going to make this with wide egg noodles so it's more like my childhood favorite haluski.
Used apple cider vinegar instead of lemon and chinese egg noodles because I forgot to buy pasta and I do think it's probably better with these, since it's a bit more firm. Excellent !
Well I really wanted to like this but there was something I didn’t enjoy about it. I think it was the cumin seeds…wasn’t a good combo for me. I might try it again with fennel seeds or none altogether. The cabbage definitely needed more time- it was cooked down but not caramelized. I used my mandolin but maybe needed to shred finer? It’s a good concept but we didn’t like it as written unfortunately.
I made this because I was intrigued by the combination of flavors, but I did have to modify it, partly because of what I had on hand and partly because of dietary restrictions. I used Napa cabbage, a yellow onion, chickpea penne, and Parmesan. I did not use butter and reduced the amount of oil and salt. The flavor combination was as tasty as I thought it would be, and I will make this again (modified). It is an easy recipe to modify and still get a delicious result.