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.

Yow will discover sausage and cabbage dishes in a number of nations, notably all through Japanese and Central Europe and within the USA. There are numerous 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 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 simple to ferment or protect, so a great supply of vitamin C throughout the winter.

Most European populations eat a number of pork, at the least greater than in different components of the world. This consists of pork sausages or different forms of salumi, or chilly cuts made with pork. The excessive consumption of pork sausages dates again centuries to instances when it was essential to discover a use for the much less fascinating components of a slaughtered pig, quite 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 recent pork sausage produced 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 means. In Basilicata, they typically add wild fennel or crimson chilli pepper (peperoncino) to the sausage meat. In Lombardy, essentially 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 known 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?

In fact, luganega isn’t simply accessible exterior of Italy. You should use 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 a substitute, you have to simply lower 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 aspect dish or along with cuts of pork. Nonetheless, one other fashionable means 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 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 known as la giardiniera. That is fashionable as an antipasto or a aspect 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 shouldn’t be as conventional there as in different components of Italy. Nonetheless, they use a number of tagliatelle, typically made with totally different grains equivalent to rye.

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

Making your sausage and cabbage tagliatelle.

Step one to creating this simple recipe is to organize the substances. Separate the cabbage leaves, wash and chop them into extensive slices. Take away the sausage meat from the casing and lower 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 possibly can preserve the water boiling for the pasta in case 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 among 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 eventually sprinkle with the parmigiano and blend once more.

What to do with leftovers.

Leftovers could be stored within the fridge in a sealed container for 1-2 days. Nonetheless, the pasta might get just a little mushy and soggy due to the liquid within the sauce. I wish to reheat leftovers within the oven shortly with additional cheese on high. In fact, it’s also possible to reheat within the microwave.

Let me know what you assume.

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

You should use different veg as a substitute of the cabbage equivalent to kale or spinach. The latter is healthier wilted within the pan with the sausages as a substitute of preboiled.

When you do do this recipe, I’d like to know what you assume. Please write a remark right here on the weblog or submit a touch upon the Pasta Challenge Fb web page.

Your suggestions means lots to me!

Buon Appetito!

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. Home made maltagliati with sausage from Marche.

In case you are inquisitive about studying find out how to make home made 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 when you’re there why not order a replica of my autumn/winter pasta recipes cookbook!?