Cabbage: A redefining of the unloved Christmas vegetable

After the festive holiday season some of us may have some sad leftover vegetables hanging around in the fridge. Cabbage and Brussel sprouts seem to always take up this space in the post-Christmas lunch fridge, never the favourites on the Christmas roast dinner plate. Well, I am here to tell you: no more. 

These sad little vegetables remain unwanted and unloved because of their reputation as bitter bowls of mush. To this I say, you just haven’t eaten properly cooked cabbage or Brussel sprouts. One of the reasons I love cabbage is for its bitter flavour but this has to be offset by pairing it with salty ingredients like bacon or cooking it in stock. To avoid the dreaded mush, cook your cabbage for less time. You want it to be soft but still with a bite to it. Keep testing the cabbage with a fork through the thickest part of the leaf and when it glides through easily et voila, it is cooked.

So, to redefine the place of cabbage in our minds and hearts I have cooked up a leftover vegetable recipe. For this you can also use Brussel sprouts, thinly sliced, but I chose my number one, cabbage (specifically Savoy cabbage). At first sight this may seem an odd combination but please trust me when I say, it works!

Creamy Savoy Cabbage and Bacon Spaghetti

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 100g pancetta, cubed
• 1 brown onion, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• ½ Savoy cabbage, sliced
• 2 glasses of Champagne (leftover from the bucks fizz of course)/dry white wine
• 150ml double cream
• 350g spaghetti
• Chilli flakes, pinch
• Salt 
• Pepper
• Parmesan (to serve)

Method

1. Heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Add the cubed pancetta until it begins to crisp slightly.
2. Add the diced onion to the pancetta and fry until it is softened and begins to turn translucent. Then add the garlic and fry for 1-2 minutes.
3. Add the cabbage to the pan and stir for 1 minute to coat in the oil and existing ingredients then pour in the wine and bring to a simmer. Once simmering, lower the heat to medium low and let the wine reduce and the cabbage cook for around 10 minutes.  
4. Meanwhile, boil water in a pan and cook the spaghetti according to packet instructions. Remember to salt your water. Drain when cooked, reserving some of the pasta water.
5. After 10 minutes, or when the cabbage feels cooked, lower the heat to low and pour in the cream, adding a pinch of chilli flakes and seasoning with salt and pepper. 
6. Add the spaghetti to the pan and mix, adding a splash of the pasta water to help the sauce coat the pasta. Serve with a grating of parmesan over the top.