Caramelized Cabbage Butter Pasta

Prep: 10 mins

Cook: 50 mins

Difficulty: Easy

Servings: 4 Servings

I am not exaggerating when I say I made Smitten Kitchen’s zucchini butter spaghetti at least 15 times. I loved how it took a boatload of zucchini and transformed it into a simple (yet flavor-packed!) vegetarian dinner. As the winter months approaches, the bounty of summer veggies turns into a bleak array of potatoes, cabbage, and winter squash, I wanted to find a way to keep making the magic that is zucchini butter pasta, but with an in-season veggie. Behold: caramelized cabbage butter pasta.

Ingredients

1/2 medium head cabbage (1 1/2 to 1 3/4 pounds), preferably green
1 medium shallot
3 to 4 large cloves garlic
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for the pasta water
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more as needed
8 ounces dried rigatoni, penne, or fusilli pasta
1 small bunch fresh chives
2 ounces Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving

Instructions

Cut the core from 1/2 medium head cabbage and discard. Place the cabbage cut-side down on the cutting board and thinly slice (5 to 6 cups). Peel and thinly slice 1 medium shallot (about 1/2 cup). Mince 3 to 4 large garlic cloves until you have about 2 tablespoons.
Melt 6 tablespoons unsalted butter in a large, heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the shallot and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Add the cabbage, season with 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, and toss to coat in the butter. Cook over medium to medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the cabbage is meltingly tender and dark golden-brown, 20 to 25 minutes. If you notice a lot of browning on the pan, turn the heat down slightly and stir the cabbage around. If there are burnt bits at the bottom of the pan, add a couple tablespoons of water to loosen them up.
Meanwhile, bring a large saucepan of heavily salted water to a boil over medium-high heat. Add 8 ounces dried short pasta and cook accordingly to package directions until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water, then drain the pasta. Thinly slice 1 small bunch chives (about 1/4 cup). Grate 2 ounces Parmesan cheese on the small holes of a box grater until you have 1/2 cup, and grate more for serving if desired.
When the cabbage is ready, add the pasta and Parmesan. Add 2/3 cup of the reserved pasta water and toss over medium heat until a thin, glossy sauce forms. Add more pasta water 1 tablespoon at a time as needed (you might not use it all). Add the chives and toss to combine. Taste and season with more kosher salt and black pepper as needed. Serve garnished with more Parmesan if desired.