Cabbage: Sautéed and Roasted

I'm just getting around to sharing the recipe from our St. Patrick's day dinner...it's only been 2 months, no big deal! I sautéed cabbage with sage and bread crumbs to make it perfectly caramelized before tossing it with pasta to create a dish full of flavor...one that became the perfect accompaniment to grilled sausage.

In the past, I've always boiled cabbage, but I've been experimenting more and finding that this vegetable is so versatile and full of flavor. A member of the brassica family (along with kale, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, bok choy, and broccoli), cabbage is extremely healthful and very low in calories (only 25 calories/100 grams). Cabbage contains more vitamin C than an orange! and many phyto-chemicals that have been linked to lowering risks of cancer as well as lowering LDL (bad cholesterol) levels.

So, first is my Caramelized Cabbage with Pasta recipe, adapted from the New York Times:

5 cloves peeled and crushed garlic 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 1/2 cup plain bread crumbs 1/2 teaspoon finely chopped fresh sage 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper Kosher salt 1 pound dry penne pasta 1/3 cup olive oil 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1 small head of cabbage, shredded 2/3 cup Parmesan cheese

Melt the butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Stir in one clove of the crushed garlic and cook until fragrant. Stir in the bread crumbs and sage and cook until bread is golden brown, about 2 minutes. Season with black pepper.

Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook about 10 minutes, until barely al dente. Drain.

While the pasta is cooking, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the remaining garlic and cook until golden brown. Add the cayenne pepper and cook until fragrant. Stir in the cabbage and cook, stirring only occasionally, until it begins to caramelize, about 10 minutes. You are looking for the edges of the cabbage to brown. Toss in the pasta and bread-crumb mixture and heat through, then quickly toss in the cheese and remove from heat. Season with salt and more pepper, if desired, and serve immediately.

And, next is my recipe for Roasted Cabbage Wedges Topped with Goat Cheese. Roasted cabbage seems to be circulating through blogs lately, so I had to give it a try. It was yummy!

1 small to medium head of cabbage Olive oil Goat cheese Freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Core your head of cabbage and then slice it into 1/2 inch thick slices and brush both sides with olive oil.

Roast for 25-30 minutes, until edges start to brown.

Top with a few small spoonfuls of goat cheese and roast for about 5 more minutes, until cheese starts to brown and bubble.

Top with cracked pepper.