Italian-inspired pasta with caramelized cabbage, fragrant garlic, and rich Parmesan. Simple, hearty, and ideal for quick dinners.
# What You'll Need:
→ Pasta
01 - 12 oz spaghetti or linguine
02 - Salt, for boiling water
→ Vegetables
03 - 1 medium head green cabbage (about 1½ lbs), cored and thinly sliced
04 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
05 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
→ Aromatics & Seasonings
06 - 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
07 - ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
08 - ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
09 - ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more to taste
→ Finishing
10 - 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving
11 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (optional)
12 - Zest of 1 lemon (optional)
# Steps:
01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta until al dente according to package instructions. Reserve 1 cup pasta water, then drain.
02 - While the pasta cooks, heat olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sliced cabbage and ½ teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 12–15 minutes, until the 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 the cooked pasta to the skillet with the 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 more salt or pepper as desired. Serve immediately, garnished with parsley and lemon zest if using, and extra Parmesan.
