Pasta with Caramelized Cabbage, Anchovies, and Bread Crumbs

Happy belated summer solstice! I love love love these long, balmy summer nights in Chicago where it stays light out forever, and you feel completely justified in going for a digestive walk after dinner only to end up at the ole’ ice cream shoppe. Every time September rolls around, I host an internal debate where I try to decide what I’m dreading the most – the cold, the snow, or the dark. The cold usually wins in the end, but it’s a pretty fair fight between the three.

Anyway. Even though it’s summer, I still love a good comfort pasta! Not to worry – this is not heavy hibernation food that knocks you out, but it isn’t altogether light and summery either. It’s an earthy, hearty pasta perfect for after you’ve had an excellent workout or for when you’re tired of salads. Reader comments on the recipe cite eastern European roots, probably due to the massive amount of cabbage it uses. I am a big cabbage fan (and so is Melissa Clark). I love plain cabbage sauteed with garlic, ginger, and salt and pepper. And did you know that cabbage is actually insanely healthy?? I felt incredibly vindicated after I learned that, because I had always felt slightly ashamed of my love of this humble vegetable, but no more! Bring on all of the cabbage stir-fries.

However, cabbage and pasta I had never considered before. Nevertheless, I am a true convert – this recipe has become a great staple in our weeknight dinners, and honestly, the first time I had it, I thought it was definitely something you could get out at a nice restaurant! The flavors are so unique – the savoriness of anchovies, sage, and pecorino, combined with the sweet and tender caramelized cabbage, and all laced with buttery breadcrumbs. It does take a bit of time to make, but I’m so invested in this recipe that I’m planning on experimenting with some time-saving and fuss-saving tips next time, and I’ll let you know. Also, if it helps, much of the time is spent waiting for the cabbage to cook, with absolutely minimal prep otherwise, so you can definitely use that time to prepare some dinner sides, clean up, leaf through People Magazine, feed the cat,… whatever.

Some Notes:

• Where there are ranges in the ingredient quantities, the lower quantity represents the original amount specified in the New York Times recipe. The higher quantity represents what I used. I upped the cabbage because I love cabbage – see above. Besides, the cabbage reduces down so much after cooking that you really have tons of flexibility in how much you use. I also dramatically increased the anchovy content because I had 10 fillets in my tin and what the heck. The additional anchovies definitely gave the final dish a distinct (but not overpowering) anchovy taste, but I liked it – anchovies are the bacon of the sea and all! If you don’t like the flavor of anchovies, stick with the 4 fillets, but do add them – they will add umami, depth, and flavor with no fishiness, I promise.
• I also added capers in the dish after reading the reader comments, since I love capers. They definitely added a salty, zingy bite though, so salt sparingly otherwise.
• About cutting the cabbage – I found it easiest to quarter the cabbage first, and just slice it thinly. Don’t worry if the strands are super long – they’ll cook and break down.
• After cooking this myself a few times, and after reading the reader comments, it really does seem like a whole host of factors can determine how quickly your cabbage caramelizes. Be patient – it took me about 40 minutes this time, from first addition of cabbage to final mixing of ingredients. Some readers have suggested cooking the cabbage over the stove for 10 minutes to release moisture, then roasting the cabbage in the oven at 350°F, checking on it and stirring every 15 minutes or so. I haven’t tried this, but it seems like it would be less fuss, so I’ll update if I do.
• You also have some flexibility in how deeply you caramelize the cabbage. I only cooked it until it was just starting to brown. In hindsight, looking at my pictures, I probably could have cooked it a bit longer. Still, it was sweet, tender, and flavorful. Feel free to taste and cook to your preference, although I would probably stop cooking it before it loses all structural integrity, so that it stays intact against the pasta.

We served this with some roasted asparagus one night, then with roasted brussels sprouts the next night. Total time to dinner, including sides: about 1 hour – 1 hour 15 minutes.

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Pasta With Caramelized Cabbage, Anchovies, and Bread Crumbs

Source: New York Times Cooking

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon red chile flakes
• 8 - 14 cups shredded cabbage (About 2 - 3 pounds)
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 4 - 10 anchovy fillets
• 1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs
• 1 - 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh sage
• 2 tablespoons capers (optional)
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper, plus more to taste
• 1 pound dry penne
• 2/3 cup grated pecorino or Parmesan cheese

Instructions

1. Place a large pot of heavily salted water on the stove to boil. If it boils before you're ready to cook the pasta, just turn the heat off and cover the pot. This will keep your water piping hot and ensure that it starts boiling almost immediately after you turn the heat back on.

2. Heat the oil in a very large skillet or Dutch oven over medium-low heat. Add about half of the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the chile flakes and cook for about 30 seconds more. Stir in the cabbage and the salt - it will feel like too much cabbage, but it will cook down, don't worry. Cover and cook for about 10 minutes over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally. Uncover and turn the heat up to medium-high. Cook until the cabbage caramelizes. Stir occasionally at first, then more frequently once the cabbage starts caramelizing to prevent burning. Don't worry if cabbage pieces start sticking to the pan - just keep scraping the bottom of the pan and tossing the mixture around. Depending on a whole host of factors (how much cabbage you use, how wide your pot is, how much water was in the cabbage when you started), the caramelization process will take anywhere from 10 - 30 minutes after uncovering the pot. Be patient, and let color and taste be your guide. The cabbage should take on a light golden brown color, and be sweet and flavorful. It will be completely softened, and will have reduced dramatically in volume.

3. While you're waiting for the cabbage, melt the butter in a separate small skillet over medium heat. Add the anchovies and cook, mashing with a spatula, until they dissolve into the butter. Stir in the remaining garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in the bread crumbs, sage, and capers, if using, and cook until the mixture is brown and crispy, about 2 minutes. Season with black pepper and set aside.

4. When the cabbage is just starting to turn brown at the edges, add the pasta to the boiling pot of water and cook according to package instructions until barely al dente. Drain.

5. Add the pasta and bread-crumb mixture into the cabbage mixture and combine, heating everything through. Remove the pan from heat, add in the cheese and toss to combine. Season with salt and lots of freshly cracked black pepper, if desired.