Cabbage Pasta With Garlic Parmesan (Printable)

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

# Components:

→ 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 & 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

# Method:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta until al dente according to package instructions. Reserve 1 cup pasta water, then drain.
02 - While pasta cooks, heat olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add sliced cabbage and ½ teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 12-15 minutes until 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 cooked pasta to the skillet with 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 salt or pepper as desired.
06 - Serve immediately, garnished with parsley and lemon zest, and extra Parmesan.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The cabbage caramelizes into something sweet and complex, nothing like raw cabbage you might expect.
  • It comes together in under 40 minutes, making weeknight cooking feel less like a chore and more like a win.
  • The pasta water becomes your secret weapon, creating a silky sauce that clings to every strand without cream.
02 -
  • Don't skip reserving the pasta water—it transforms from a discarded byproduct into the binding agent that makes this dish silky instead of dry.
  • Thin slicing of the cabbage matters more than you'd think, as thicker pieces won't caramelize properly and will stay tough and watery.
03 -
  • Make sure your Parmesan is genuinely freshly grated and not the pre-shredded kind, which won't melt smoothly and will leave you with clumpy texture.
  • If your pan feels dry after tossing, add pasta water gradually rather than all at once, as you can always add more but you can't take it back.
Return