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 utilize different pasta sorts.
Sausage and cabbage is a well-liked combo.
You’ll find sausage and cabbage dishes in quite a lot of international locations, notably all through Jap and Central Europe and within the USA. There are lots of variations of those dishes made with completely different sorts of sausage and methods of making ready the cabbage.
Right here in Italy, as in different international locations, each sausages and cabbages had been initially staple meals for the agricultural inhabitants. Cabbages are hardy vegetation 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 very good supply of vitamin C throughout the winter.
Most European populations eat quite a lot of pork, not less than greater than in different components of the world. This consists of pork sausages or different sorts 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, reasonably than waste them.
The sausage on this recipe.
This conventional sausage and cabbage pasta recipe requires luganega sausage. Luganega is an extended, 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 normally a contemporary pork sausage constituted of the cheek or neck of the pig. Nonetheless, in some areas they use the pork shoulder or rib meat too. Luganega is especially common in Northern and Central Italy, though it apparently originated in Basilicata.
Not all sorts of this sausage are made the identical manner. In Basilicata, they usually add wild fennel or purple 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 dwell. It’s much like the Trentino one however with out the garlic and lardo.
What different sorts of sausage can you employ?
After all, luganega isn’t simply out there exterior of Italy. You should use different sorts of Italian pork sausages. However, it’s higher if they’re slim sausages. In contrast to different sausage pasta recipes, the sausage meat isn’t crumbled after eradicating the casing. As an alternative, it’s good to 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 common manner to make use of this nutritious veg is with pasta. On my to make checklist are a cabbage lasagna and cabbage pesto, though these are up to date recipes.
A widely known conventional cabbage pasta recipe I’ve printed is pizzoccheri alla valtellinese made with buckwheat pasta, cabbage, potatoes, butter and cheese. That is one other rustic pasta dish filled with the flavours of the Italian Alps.
Italians don’t normally ferment cabbage for the winter. Possibly 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 common 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 gorgeous mountainous Italian area that borders with Austria. Pasta isn’t as conventional there as in different components of Italy. Nonetheless, they use quite a lot of tagliatelle, usually made with completely different grains akin to rye.
As I discussed above, this sausage and cabbage pasta recipe requires wholewheat tagliatelle or tagliatelle integrali in Italian. After all, you should utilize different sorts of tagliatelle and even different pasta ribbons or shapes. I feel tubes like rigatoni would work effectively.
Making your sausage and cabbage tagliatelle.
Step one to creating this straightforward recipe is to arrange the components. Separate the cabbage leaves, wash and chop them into broad 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 may preserve the water boiling for the pasta when you take away the cabbage with a slotted spoon. Fry the sausage items in just a little 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 just a little of the pasta cooking water. Combine all the things collectively and at last sprinkle with the parmigiano and blend once more.
What to do with leftovers.
Leftovers might be saved within the fridge in a sealed container for 1-2 days. Nonetheless, the pasta might get just a little smooth 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 may also reheat within the microwave.
Let me know what you suppose.
This sausage and cabbage pasta is an easy rustic dish that’s fabulously fast to make and but very satisfying. Made with principally pantry staples, this recipe can be nice for getting the children to eat extra greens.
You should use different veg as an alternative of the cabbage akin to kale or spinach. The latter is best wilted within the pan with the sausages as an alternative of preboiled.
Should you do do this 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 Challenge Fb web page.
Your suggestions means rather a lot to me!
Buon Appetito!
Sausage and cabbage tagliatelle from the Italian mountains.
This sausage and cabbage pasta is an easy 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 be nice for getting the children to eat extra greens.
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
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Brown the sausage items in a big frying pan with just a little olive oil. Then take away and put aside. Prepare dinner the cabbage for 3-5 minutes in boiling salted water then drain. You may preserve the water for the pasta when you take away the cabbage with a slotted spoon.
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Sauté the onion in the identical pan you used for the sausage. Chances are you’ll want so as to add extra olive oil. When the onion begins to melt add the cabbage.
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Add the vegetable broth and braise the cabbage and onion for 10 minutes.
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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.
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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.
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Lastly sprinkle the sausage, cabbage and pasta with grated Parmigiano. Combine once more and serve instantly.
Notes
It’s also possible to use different sorts of Italian pork sausages for this recipe. However, it’s higher if they’re slim sausages. In contrast to different sausage pasta recipes, the sausage meat isn’t crumbled after eradicating the casing. As an alternative, it’s good to simply minimize into small bite-size items.
This recipe requires wholewheat tagliatelle however different sorts of tagliatelle are good too and even different pasta ribbons or tubes.
Some extra sausage pasta recipes to take a look at!
- Pasta alla Norcina from Umbria
- Sardinian malloreddus with sausage, tomatoes and saffron alla campidanese.
- Rigatoni alla Zozzona from Rome
- Baked ziti with spicy sausage from Naples
- Home made maltagliati with sausage from Marche.
If you’re taken with studying the best way to make do-it-yourself pasta and various kinds of gnocchi, take a look at my store web page for some nice video on-line programs from my buddies in Rome! Nothing beats studying to make pasta from Italians! Plus whilst you’re there why not order a duplicate of my autumn/winter pasta recipes cookbook!?
Extra Trentino-Alto Adige/South Tyrol
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