Sausage and Cabbage Pasta. – The Pasta Challenge

Sausage and cabbage pasta is a well-liked and conventional recipe in Northern and Central Italy, notably within the mountain areas. This straightforward rustic however hearty model comes from the northernmost Italian area of Trentino-Alto Adige. The sausage and cabbage are paired with wholewheat tagliatelle however you should use different pasta sorts.

Sausage and cabbage is a well-liked combo.

You will discover sausage and cabbage dishes in numerous nations, notably all through Japanese and Central Europe and within the USA. There are lots of variations of those dishes made with totally different sorts of sausage and methods of getting ready the cabbage.

Right here in Italy, as in different nations, each sausages and cabbages have been initially staple meals for the agricultural inhabitants. Cabbages are hardy crops that don’t require a lot care to domesticate and provides good yields. They are often eaten uncooked or cooked. Plus, they’re additionally straightforward to ferment or protect, so a superb supply of vitamin C through the winter.

Most European populations eat numerous pork, a minimum of greater than in different components of the world. This contains pork sausages or different forms of salumi, or chilly cuts made with pork. The excessive consumption of pork sausages dates again centuries to occasions when it was essential to discover a use for the much less fascinating components of a slaughtered pig, moderately than waste them.

The sausage on this recipe.

This conventional sausage and cabbage pasta recipe requires luganega sausage. Luganega is a protracted, slim Italian sausage that hasn’t been divided into smaller hyperlinks. Some Italians name it ‘salsiccia al metro’ (sausage by the metre) as a result of in some locations they promote it by the metre!

It’s often a contemporary pork sausage constructed from the cheek or neck of the pig. Nonetheless, in some areas they use the pork shoulder or rib meat too. Luganega is especially fashionable in Northern and Central Italy, though it apparently originated in Basilicata.

Not all forms of this sausage are made the identical approach. In Basilicata, they usually add wild fennel or pink chilli pepper (peperoncino) to the sausage meat. In Lombardy, probably the most well-known luganega sausage comes from Monza. There, they make it with Parmigiano or Grana cheese, Marsala wine and meat broth and serve it in a risotto or pasta dish referred to as alla monzese!

In Trentino-Alto Adige, the place this sausage and cabbage pasta comes from, they make luganega with lean pork meat and lardo (pig again fats). The meat is seasoned with salt, pepper and garlic. I used luganega from Veneto the place I stay. It’s much like the Trentino one however with out the garlic and lardo.

What different forms of sausage can you utilize?

After all, luganega isn’t simply obtainable outdoors of Italy. You should utilize different forms of Italian pork sausages. However, it’s higher if they’re slim sausages. Not like different sausage pasta recipes, the sausage meat isn’t crumbled after eradicating the casing. As an alternative, it’s essential simply minimize into small bite-size items.

Cabbage within the Italian kitchen.

Italians use cabbage (verza in Italian) in lots of dishes. Nicely-known ones that come to thoughts are ‘capunet piemontesi’ (stuffed cabbage rolls from Piemonte), ‘la Jota’, a cabbage, potato and bean soup from Trieste additionally eaten in components of Croatia, and pork ribs with cabbage or the same ‘cassoeula’ from Lombardy.

There are different Italian recipes for soups with cabbage or cabbage as a facet dish or along with cuts of pork. Nonetheless, one other fashionable approach to make use of this nutritious veg is with pasta. On my to make record are a cabbage lasagna and cabbage pesto, though these are modern recipes.

A widely known conventional cabbage pasta recipe I’ve revealed is pizzoccheri alla valtellinese made with buckwheat pasta, cabbage, potatoes, butter and cheese. That is one other rustic pasta dish stuffed with the flavours of the Italian Alps.

Italians don’t often ferment cabbage for the winter. Perhaps as a result of it’s a winter crop and never a veg usually eaten within the hotter months. Nonetheless, they do generally use cabbage with different greens in a pickled vegetable combine referred to as la giardiniera. That is fashionable as an antipasto or a facet dish with grilled meats.

The pasta for this sausage and cabbage recipe.

I discovered this recipe in an Italian cookbook of recipes from Trentino-Alto Adige, the attractive mountainous Italian area that borders with Austria. Pasta will not be as conventional there as in different components of Italy. Nonetheless, they use numerous tagliatelle, usually made with totally different grains comparable to rye.

As I discussed above, this sausage and cabbage pasta recipe requires wholewheat tagliatelle or tagliatelle integrali in Italian. After all, you should use different forms of tagliatelle and even different pasta ribbons or shapes. I feel tubes like rigatoni would work nicely.

Making your sausage and cabbage tagliatelle.

Step one to creating this straightforward recipe is to organize the substances. Separate the cabbage leaves, wash and chop them into large slices. Take away the sausage meat from the casing and minimize into bite-size items. Then, peel and chop the onion.

Prepare dinner the cabbage in boiling salted water for 3-5 minutes then drain it. You’ll be able to preserve the water boiling for the pasta if you happen to take away the cabbage with a slotted spoon. Fry the sausage items in a bit of olive oil till they’re browned.

Take away the sausage from the pan after which fry the onion in the identical pan till it begins to melt. Add the cabbage and a few vegetable broth and prepare dinner on a low warmth for about 10 minutes.

Whereas the cabbage is cooking, prepare dinner the pasta till al dente after which save a number of the cooking water and drain. Add the sausage to the cabbage after which the cooked pasta, plus the herbs. If the sauce appears dry, pour in a bit of of the pasta cooking water. Combine the whole lot collectively and eventually sprinkle with the parmigiano and blend once more.

What to do with leftovers.

Leftovers may be stored within the fridge in a sealed container for 1-2 days. Nonetheless, the pasta could get a bit of comfortable and soggy due to the liquid within the sauce. I prefer to reheat leftovers within the oven shortly with further cheese on high. After all, you can too reheat within the microwave.

Let me know what you suppose.

This sausage and cabbage pasta is a straightforward rustic dish that’s fabulously fast to make and but very satisfying. Made with principally pantry staples, this recipe can also be nice for getting the children to eat extra greens.

You should utilize different veg as an alternative of the cabbage comparable to kale or spinach. The latter is healthier wilted within the pan with the sausages as an alternative of preboiled.

If you happen to do do that recipe, I’d like to know what you suppose. Please write a remark right here on the weblog or put up a touch upon the Pasta Project Facebook page.

Your suggestions means so much to me!

Buon Appetito!

Sausage and cabbage tagliatelle from the Italian mountains.

Jacqui

This sausage and cabbage pasta is a straightforward rustic dish from Italy’s Trentino-Alto Adige area. It is fabulously fast to make and but very satisfying. Made with principally pantry staples, this recipe can also be nice for getting the children to eat extra greens.

Prep Time 20 minutes

Prepare dinner Time 25 minutes

Course Most important Course

Delicacies Italian, Northern Italy, Trentino-Alto Adige

Elements  

• 14 oz tagliatelle pasta (400g) or different pasta of your alternative
• 7 oz luganega sausage (200g) or different Italian pork sausage.
• 10.5 oz savoy cabbage (300g) washed and minimize into slices
• 1 onion peeled and sliced
• 4 tbsp Parmigiano Reggiano grated
• 3 tbsp further virgin olive oil.
• 1 cup vegetable broth
• 1 tbsp contemporary herbs (parsley, thyme, marjoram) chopped

Directions 

Prepare dinner the sausage and cabbage

• Brown the sausage items in a big frying pan with a bit of olive oil. Then take away and put aside. Prepare dinner the cabbage for 3-5 minutes in boiling salted water then drain. You’ll be able to preserve the water for the pasta if you happen to take away the cabbage with a slotted spoon.

• Sauté the onion in the identical pan you used for the sausage. It’s possible you’ll want so as to add extra olive oil. When the onion begins to melt add the cabbage.

• Add the vegetable broth and braise the cabbage and onion for 10 minutes.

• Whereas the cabbage is braising within the frying pan, prepare dinner the pasta al dente within the boiling water you cooked the cabbage in earlier than. Drain the pasta when it is prepared.

• Add the sausage again to the pan with the cabbage. Add salt and pepper to style. Combine collectively then add the cooked tagliatelle and the contemporary herbs. Combine once more.

• Lastly sprinkle the sausage, cabbage and pasta with grated Parmigiano. Combine once more and serve instantly.

Notes

You should utilize different greens as an alternative of the cabbage comparable to kale or spinach. The latter is healthier wilted within the pan with the sausages as an alternative of preboiled.
You can even use different forms of Italian pork sausages for this recipe. However, it’s higher if they’re slim sausages. Not like different sausage pasta recipes, the sausage meat isn’t crumbled after eradicating the casing. As an alternative, it’s essential simply minimize into small bite-size items.
This recipe requires wholewheat tagliatelle however different forms of tagliatelle are good too and even different pasta ribbons or tubes.

Key phrase sausage and cabbage pasta, sausage pasta, tagliatelle

Some extra sausage pasta recipes to take a look at!

1. Pasta alla Norcina from Umbria
2. Sardinian malloreddus with sausage, tomatoes and saffron alla campidanese.
3. Rigatoni alla Zozzona from Rome
4. Baked ziti with spicy sausage from Naples
5. Selfmade maltagliati with sausage from Marche.

In case you are curious about studying easy methods to make do-it-yourself pasta and several types of gnocchi, take a look at my store web page for some nice video on-line programs from my associates in Rome! Nothing beats studying to make pasta from Italians! Plus when you’re there why not order a duplicate of my autumn/winter pasta recipes cookbook!?