Cabbage Pasta With Garlic Parmesan (Printable Version)

Caramelized cabbage, garlic, and Parmesan tossed with pasta for a comforting Italian-inspired weeknight meal.

# Ingredient List:

→ Pasta

01 - 12 oz spaghetti or linguine
02 - Salt for boiling water

→ Vegetables

03 - 1 medium head green cabbage, cored and thinly sliced
04 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
05 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

→ Aromatics and Flavor

06 - 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
07 - ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
08 - ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
09 - ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more to taste

→ Finish

10 - 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving
11 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
12 - Zest of 1 lemon

# How to Make:

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.
06 - Serve immediately, garnished with parsley and lemon zest if desired, and extra Parmesan.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • It transforms humble cabbage into something silky, caramelized, and surprisingly luxurious without any cream or fancy ingredients.
  • The whole dish comes together in one skillet after the pasta boils, which means less cleanup and more time at the table.
  • It tastes like you spent hours cooking, but really it's just about letting the cabbage do its thing in butter and olive oil.
  • Leftovers reheat beautifully and somehow taste even better the next day when the flavors have had time to settle in.
02 -
  • Don't rush the cabbage—if you try to cook it too fast over high heat, it'll steam instead of caramelize, and you'll miss out on all that sweet, nutty flavor.
  • Reserve more pasta water than you think you need, because it's easier to add liquid than to fix a dish that's too wet, and that starchy water is the key to a cohesive sauce.
  • Add the Parmesan off the heat so it melts gently into the pasta instead of clumping or turning grainy from too much direct heat.
03 -
  • Use a large skillet so the cabbage has room to spread out and caramelize instead of steaming in a crowded pan.
  • Grate the Parmesan on the finest side of your grater so it melts into the pasta instead of sitting in clumps.
  • Taste the pasta water before you drain—it should be as salty as the sea, because that's your only chance to season the noodles from the inside out.
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