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

• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.

James first made some garlicky, buttery shrimp about a few months ago, just to go with some leftovers we had, and my first thought was, why don’t we eat this all the time?? And why don’t we eat this on a huge mound of pasta, with some bright green spinach to welcome spring and brightness and sunshine and feeling like we’re on the coast of Spain even though we’re stuck in Chicago, where spring is still sort of playing hard to get in MAY, and all of my anticipatory summer clothes sit collecting dust in my closet…

Luckily, James and I are going to Bermuda next week, which is a good substitute for a Spanish coast I think (bring on the rompers!), and so in preparation, I brought out the bright spring shrimp scampi! I used a recipe from the New York Times (yes, Melissa Clark. I promise I don’t get all my recipes from Melissa Clark, but – come on – just look at her pics!) Shrimp scampi is so easy, but after reading the readers’ comments and doing some additional research, I added a fussier step of simmering the shrimp shells in wine for about 5 minutes for more flavor.

And – you guys – I couldn’t believe how easy shrimp stock was to make. I’ve never done it before, so I didn’t know exactly what I was doing, as you can see from the pictures and the note at the bottom. But basically, you just simmer the shells in wine for five minutes, and you’re left with a fragrant, rich, undeniably seafood-y wine. Not good for drinking, but great for seafood dishes!

Anyway, I also upped all the sauce ingredients because some people complained of not enough sauce, and nobody wants that. We served it with linguine (I bet it’s also amazing with crusty French bread), and I added some pasta water at the end to thicken and bind the sauce to the pasta even more.

We had this with that bright green spinach, sipping the leftover wine, and dreaming of sunny days and balmy nights. Bermuda can’t come soon enough!

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Shrimp Scampi with Linguine

Source: The New York Times

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 8 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup dry white wine or broth
• ¾ teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
• ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 pounds large or extra-large shrimp, preserving the shells if desired
• ⅓ cup chopped parsley, or more to taste
• Freshly squeezed juice of 1 lemon
• ¼ – ½ cup cooked pasta water (if serving with pasta)
• Accompaniments: Spaghetti or linguine, or crusty bread

Instructions

• Optional but recommended: Rinse the shrimp shells under cold running water. Heat a saucepan over medium heat and add a drizzle of olive oil. When oil is hot, add the shrimp SHELLS (not the shrimp!) and toss for 30 seconds in the hot oil. Add the wine or broth and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 5 minutes. After five minutes, strain the wine or broth for use. I had about 7/8 of the cup of liquid left after simmering.
• In a large skillet with a lid, melt the butter with olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the wine or broth, salt, red pepper flakes, and lots of black pepper and bring to a simmer. Let wine or broth reduce by half, about 3-4 minutes.
• Add the shrimp into the liquid and spread them out in an even layer, then cover the pan. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the shrimp just turn pink and have curled up into a loose "C" shape ("C" stands for "cooked," "O" stands for "overcooked"), 2 to 4 minutes depending upon their size. Stir in the parsley and lemon juice. Toss with pasta or serve with crusty bread.
• A slightly fussier step for serving with pasta: Try the following and you'll have silkier, thicker sauce.

  First, DON'T add the parsley and lemon juice yet - cooked lemon juice can get a bit weird.

  About a minute before both the shrimp and the pasta are done, ladle the pasta water into the sauce. Add the pasta and toss, continuing to cook everything over medium-low heat, about 1-2 minutes, until everything is combined and the sauce has thickened. Add parsley and lemon juice and toss to combine.

Notes:

I clearly didn’t need to simmer all my shrimp shells! Ha! You only need about a cup or so. Freeze the rest for later use or discard.

If making the shrimp wine / stock – to skim or not to skim? That is the eternal question. I did not skim, and did not notice any off flavors.

If you’ve added some pasta water, tossed everything over the heat, and your sauce still looks watery, you might not have simmered off enough wine, or you may have more dilute pasta water (I tend to cook my pasta in as small a pot and as little water as possible). I would suggest you stop cooking, as if you keep going, you’ll overcook the shrimp and that would be sad. Sauce with starch in it also tends to thicken a bit more as it cools, so try to let it rest for a few minutes and it should get thicker.

I cooked one pound of linguine for the above quantity of scampi, and think it was a bit too much. In the future I would probably serve this with about 3/4 of a pound of dried pasta. I also should have added more parsley!

“A minute before the shrimp and the pasta are done”??! How on earth am I supposed to make this happen at the same time?? Yes, I know. The best food is often slightly annoying to make, but that doesn’t mean we should strive for mediocrity! You’ll see in my pictures that my shrimp are a bit overcooked – oops. I try to buy large or jumbo sized shrimp – they usually have a bit more wiggle room when you overcook them. But ultimately, if you want to serve shrimp scampi with pasta, the best way to get all that delicious liquid to adhere to the pasta (and why would you waste even a drop of that magical, buttery, garlicky goodness?) is to toss the hot pasta with the hot sauce immediately, so you’ll have to do some brain calculations to try to finish cooking both at the same time. But in the end – just do the best you can – it will be okay if one or the other is a tad bit overcooked, and nobody is judging you on a weeknight. I would recommend you err on the side of finishing the pasta first – you can drain it, keep it on the side, reserve some pasta water, and wait for the shrimp to be juuuuust about done, then toss everything together. It will be great!

Or, you can just serve the scampi with crusty bread.

Made this? Have some feedback? Let me know! Leave a comment below, or tag #trialbyfryer on Instagram!