So Many Dishes

I’m finally back into our regular routine. As nice and well equipped as the kitchen was in our vacation rental, it’s good to be cooking at home. And it was time to try a new recipe.

Ken found a recipe online that he wanted us to try, and this was the perfect week to do it. We were both hungry for my chicken schnitzel, and while we usually pair it with red cabbage, we decided on the simple green cabbage recipe we call Czech-style cabbage. Planning out the menu for the week, we didn’t want to have leftovers from this meal, so it made sense to buy a somewhat larger head of cabbage and use the other half for the new recipe. We had a plan.

The recipe is from a blog, Barefeet in the Kitchen. The website has apparently been around for 15 years, and is written by Mary Younkin. I’ve been exploring the site, and there are some interesting looking recipes I may try. It’s more geared, I think, to feeding families, and one her specialties seems to be homemade ice cream. I will not be trying that!

The recipe is very straightforward, and has a modest ingredient list. I left out two things: onion and crushed red pepper. Ken is in the midst of a serious reflux episode. We’ve gone through this periodically, although the last one that we recall was in 2013. We know from experience that eliminating onions, tomatoes, and hot pepper from his diet helps him recover more quickly. The dish didn’t miss the onion at all. I thought I might add a few red pepper flakes at the table, but my first taste was so good, I forgot about it. I used mild Italian sausage; I only had three-fourths of a pound because I’d used the other quarter pound on a pizza, and there was still plenty of meat.

Cabbage Sausage Pasta

• 8 ounces bite-size pasta (I used farfalle)
• 2-3 cups reserved pasta cooking water
• 1 pound Italian sausage, mild or hot
• 3 tablespoons butter, divided
• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced, about 1 1/2 cups
• 1 small or 1/2 large head of green cabbage, chopped small
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 ounce Parmesan cheese, grated (1/2 cup)
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 8 fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced (I was generous here)

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to package directions for al denté, stirring occasionally. Drain the pasta, reserving about 2 cups of the pasta cooking liquid.

While the pasta is cooking, heat a large heavy skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook, stirring occasionally to break up into bite-size pieces. Transfer the cooked sausage to a plate, leaving the drippings in the pan.

Add 1 tablespoon of the butter to the drippings. Add the onion and cook, scraping up browned bits in the pan, until the onion is tender, about 3 minutes.

Add the cabbage, garlic, red pepper, and salt. Toss to coat and add 1/4 cup of pasta water to the pan. Cover with a lid and cook over medium heat for about 5 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, scraping the pan as needed.

When the cabbage is tender, add the sausage and the cooked pasta, along with 1 cup of the reserved cooking liquid. Cook over medium, stirring constantly, until the liquid thickens to lightly coat the pasta, about 3 minutes.

Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, cheese, and lemon juice; cook, stirring constantly, until saucy, 1 to 2 minutes. Add a splash or two more of the cooking liquid, as needed, to achieve the desired consistency of the sauce. (I didn’t need to add any more). Taste and add salt, if necessary.

Sprinkle with basil and toss to combine. Serve immediately, with additional red pepper and cheese as desired. Makes 5-6 servings.

We really enjoyed this dish. Ken asked that I make this again soon. It does make a lot, but the leftovers were just as good as the first time. I had some extra basil to top the leftovers, which I’ll do again. I was a little leery of that much butter, but since the sausage turned out to be incredibly lean, leaving almost no drippings, I really needed it. I had also wondered if it would need additional seasoning. It doesn’t. Between the tasty sausage, plenty of fresh basil—because of course I added extra— and the lemon juice to brighten everything, it was perfect.

The year of the cabbage continues. Happy eating!