Cacio e Pepe Cabbage

I have been cooking cabbage consistently for years – my ODE TO CABBAGE was my first foray into sharing my love for this veggie with you all, but holy moly, I think this was/is my favorite cabbage dish YET. Coincidentally, a traditional Cacio e Pepe is one of my go-to pasta dishes (especially when it’s served at Via Carota) and it’s SO DARN EASY to make! However, this cabbage was variation was just as satisfying and had the exact same flavor profile.

Shopping List: green cabbage, olive oil, butter, parmesan cheese (grated and shaved), freshly ground black pepper, garlic salt

THE KEY here is to slice your cabbage in half, lengthwise, through the core, and then VERY THINLY slice your cabbage along the grain. VERY THINLY. This is key because it’s going to give your cabbage a thinner, noodle-like consistency. Once you get your cabbage sliced very thinly, the rest is easy peasy. In your large saucepan, add 2 tB. of olive oil and 1 heaping tB. of butter (or plant-based butter, which I’m a big fan of these days). Keep your pan over medium-high heat, add your cabbage, and sauté for about 5 minutes.

I don’t like to mix the cabbage TOO much or else you won’t get any browned bits — BROWNED BITS=FLAVOR in my opinion so let your heat do its job and caramelize the cabbage. Season your cabbage with garlic salt and a ton of FRESHLY grated pepper. Start with 1 tsp. and maybe add a second. The dish has the word “Pepe” in it for a reason, so you want the pepper flavor to shine. Once your cabbage is wilted and browned, add 2/3 cup of grated parmesan cheese. OH YEA!!!!! You could even go crazy and add 3/4 cup – who’s going to judge you!? The cheese, the pepper and the drop of butter are what MAKE this cabbage so insanely yummy.

Give the cabbage and cheese a quick mix so the parmesan gets all incorporated and melty and mm mm delish. After you plate your cabbage, finish with a sprinkle of SHAVED parmesan because it looks pretty and the textural difference between the grated and shaved parmesan actually makes a difference. And then become addicted because honestly, if you don’t like THIS cabbage, you basically really really really dislike cabbage — and that’s OK too — you can always re-make the entire recipe with your favorite par-cooked noodle.