Recipe: One-Pot Cabbage & Sausage Pasta
There's hardly any effort required to make a pasta this good, and half of it is owed to the earthiness of cabbage and smoky sausage.
Serves6 to 8
Say hello to your favorite new addition to the cold-weather recipe rotation. It sounds like a cliché (because it is), but this recipe adds up to far more than the sum of its parts. Ribbons of crunchy cabbage, the fresh sweet pop of peas, and an underlying smokiness powered by sausage turns what could have easily been a standard one-pot pasta into something crave-worthy week in and week out.
You likely have noodles in the cabinet, and the remaining ingredients keep well for days in the fridge or freezer, so keep this recipe in your back pocket for busy days when there’s little or no time to shop. And while the cabbage gives this recipe its bulk and earthy broth, it’s the sausage you should spend your money on. Considering even the most expensive sausages are more affordable than most cuts of meat, this recipe ends up being quite the steal.
Speaking of shopping, you can quickly pick up all the produce you need — already cut, washed, and ready to use — from the grocery store salad bar. The shredded cabbage in grocery store salad bars is often fresher and more appealing than what you find in plastic bags in the produce case. Let them do the prep work so that you can focus on getting this delightful meal on the table as efficiently as possible.
One-Pot Cabbage & Sausage Pasta
There's hardly any effort required to make a pasta this good, and half of it is owed to the earthiness of cabbage and smoky sausage.
Serves6 to 8
Nutritional Info
Ingredients
- 8 ounces
dried wide egg noodles
- 1 cup
frozen green peas
- 3 tablespoons
unsalted butter, divided
- 12 ounces
fully cooked smoked sausage, such as kielbasa, cut into 1/2-inch rounds
- 1
large yellow onion, halved and thinly sliced (about 3 cups)
- 1
medium red bell pepper, cored and thinly sliced (about 2 cups)
Kosher salt
- 1
medium cabbage (about 2 pounds), cored, quartered, and shredded
Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Stir in the noodles and cook for 2 minutes less than the minimum time stated on the package. Stir in the peas and cook until al dente, about 2 minutes more. Drain well, then return the noodles and peas to the warm pot and stir in 1 tablespoon of the butter. Cover to keep warm off the heat.
Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter over medium heat in a large pot. Add the sausage and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the sausage to a medium bowl; set aside.
Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter to the now-empty pot. When melted, stir in the onion, bell pepper, and a big pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until beginning to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the cabbage in batches, stirring until each batch is starting to wilt before adding more. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are crisp-tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in the drained noodles and peas and reserved sausage. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed. Serve immediately.
Recipe Notes
Pre-shredded cabbage: You can use pre-shredded cabbage; you will need 12 cups shredded.
Storage: Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.