Hungarian Cabbage and Noodles

The Perfect Comfort Food Side Dish

Our recipe for Hungarian cabbage and noodles (Káposztás Tészta) is a delicious, versatile side dish that complements a wide variety of entrées, and is one of our all-time favorite comfort food dishes. Easy to prepare, the cabbage and egg noodles are cooked separately, then combined and baked to allow the flavors to develop.

Key Ingredients

• Egg noodles: Our recipe calls for a 12-ounce package of egg noodles. You can use any type you like, but we prefer wider noodles. You can also use yolk-free noodles. We don’t find them to be a compromise in either flavor or texture.
• Cabbage: We recommend using an average-sized head of green cabbage, which yields 6 to 8 cups once cored and sliced. You really can’t have too much cabbage in this recipe, but the ratio of cabbage to noodles can be too small.
• Butter: We recommend using unsalted butter in this recipe so you have full control of the amount of salt you’re using. Our original family recipe called for double the amount of butter we use. We’ve cut back a bit on the fat and calories without sacrificing flavor by replacing the extra with a mixture of chicken broth and half-and-half instead.
• Onion and garlic: While we don’t want the flavors of onion or garlic to overpower our cabbage noodles, we do feel that these two ingredients add some extra oompf to the flavor of the sautéed cabbage.
• Chicken broth: Once the cabbage has begun to caramelize, we deglaze our pan with some low-sodium chicken broth to capture the flavor of the fond (the browned bits) that’s accumulated on the bottom of the pan. It also helps to eliminate the need for the cabbage to be swimming in butter.
• Half-and-half: Adding some half-and-half to the sautéed cabbage is our last step before we combine it with the cooked egg noodles. We only reduce it a little, as it gets absorbed into the noodles to add a touch of creaminess.
• Black pepper: We taste and season the cabbage with salt and pepper as we’re sautéing it, but we always add a few more generous grinds of black pepper once we’ve combined it with the noodles. It adds a little punch of flavor that we think enhances the entire dish.

How to Make Hungarian Cabbage and Noodles

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a large, shallow casserole dish with nonstick spray.
2. Put a pot of salted water on to boil for the egg noodles and prepare them according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
3. While the egg noodles cook, melt the butter in a large frying pan over medium heat.
4. Add the onion and sauté until slightly softened, 3 to 4 minutes.
5. Add about 1/3 of the sliced cabbage, season with salt and pepper, and cook until wilted, 4 to 5 minutes.
6. Repeat this process two more times with the remaining cabbage, being sure to season to taste each time.
7. Once all the cabbage is wilted, continue cooking, stirring often, until lightly caramelized. The total cooking time on the cabbage should be about 25 minutes.
8. Deglaze the pan with the chicken broth, scraping up any browned bits that may have accumulated on the bottom, and taste once more for seasoning.
9. Stir in the half-and-half and cook for 1 minute longer, then combine the cabbage mixture with the cooked egg noodles and combine well. Taste one more time for seasoning, and add a few generous grinds of black pepper if desired.
10. Transfer the noodles to the prepared casserole. Cover tightly and bake for 45 to 50 minutes. Uncover the casserole and continue baking for an additional 10 minutes, then serve.

Make It a Meal: What to Serve with Cabbage Noodles

Here are a few main dishes that pair perfectly with this versatile side dish:

• Pork roast: For an easy and delicious Sunday dinner menu, make our Garlic and Herb Crusted Boneless Pork Roast and serve it with a side dish of cabbage and noodles and a simple green vegetable like buttered green beans or steamed spinach.
• Pork chops: Keep with the comfort food theme and serve these noodles with some breaded pork chops, homemade applesauce, and creamed spinach.
• Roast chicken: The next time you plan to make a roasted chicken, make a batch of cabbage noodles ahead of time, keep them warm while the chicken roasts, and serve along with glazed carrots.
• Boneless chicken thighs: When you have leftover cabbage and noodles, reheat them and serve with our fast and easy Oven-Roasted Chicken Thighs and add a big green salad with ranch dressing.

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5 from 2 votes

Hungarian Cabbage and Noodles

By Lynne Webb

Our recipe for Hungarian Cabbage and Noodles (Káposztás Tészta) is a versatile comfort food side dish made by combining cabbage sautéed in butter with wide egg noodles.

Prep: 15 minutes mins

Cook: 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Total: 1 hour hr 45 minutes mins

Servings: 8 servings

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Ingredients

• ▢ 12 ounces broad egg noodles
• ▢ 1/2 cup unsalted butter, (1 stick)
• ▢ 1/2 medium onion, thinly sliced (about 3/4 cup)
• ▢ 1 head cabbage, thinly sliced (6 to 8 cups)
• ▢ 1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
• ▢ 1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• ▢ 1/4 cup half-and-half, (may substitute light cream)

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Instructions 

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a large, shallow casserole dish with nonstick spray.
• Put a pot of salted water on to boil for the egg noodles and prepare them according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
• While the egg noodles cook, melt the butter in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until slightly softened, 3 to 4 minutes.
• Add about 1/3 of the sliced cabbage to the pan, season with salt and pepper, and cook until wilted, 4 to 5 minutes.
• Repeat this process two more times with the remaining cabbage, being sure to season to taste each time.
• Once all the cabbage is wilted, continue cooking, stirring often, until lightly caramelized. The total cooking time on the cabbage should be about 25 minutes.
• Deglaze the pan with the chicken broth, scraping up any browned bits that may have accumulated on the bottom, and taste once more for seasoning.
• Stir in the half-and-half and cook for 1 minute longer, then combine the cabbage mixture with the cooked egg noodles and combine well. Taste one more time for seasoning, and add a few generous grinds of black pepper if desired.
• Transfer the noodles to the prepared casserole. Cover tightly and bake for 45 to 50 minutes. Uncover the casserole and continue baking for an additional 10 minutes, then serve.

Notes

Popular Recipe Variations: Give this recipe your unique spin by trying one of the following common ingredient additions:

• Bacon: Cut a few strips of bacon into 1/2-inch pieces and fry until crisp. Drain on paper towels and reserve the bacon bits until you’re ready to combine the cabbage and noodles before baking. For added flavor, leave a little bacon fat in the pan when you begin sautéing the onion.
• Smoked sausage: If you’d like some added garlic flavor, consider adding some diced smoked sausage. Polish kielbasa is a good choice. Just dice a single link, sauté until browned, add your butter, and proceed with sautéing the onion and cabbage according to the recipe.
• Sour cream: If you’d like a creamier version of these cabbage noodles, try stirring in some warmed sour cream after baking. You might want to add a bit of sweet Hungarian paprika too.
• Caramelized onions: If you’re a fan of the sweet flavor of caramelized onions (and who isn’t), triple the amount of onion called for in the recipe. Using half the butter called for, sauté them over medium-low heat until nicely caramelized. This will take about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the onions with a slotted spoon before adding the remaining butter and sautéing the cabbage. Combine all before baking.
• Make it Italian-style: We’ve modified our recipe for Hungarian cabbage and noodles and made an Italian-inspired version that uses pasta (cavatappi, to be precise) instead of egg noodles, along with Parmesan cheese, fresh thyme, and a generous helping of garlic. Sound good? Check out our recipe for Parmesan Pasta With Cabbage and Thyme.

Make Ahead, Storage, and Leftover Tips

Hungarian cabbage noodles are one of those dishes that actually taste better reheated. You can make them up to the point of baking, refrigerate them for up to two days, then bake them before serving. You’ll need to add about 10 minutes to the baking time to compensate for having been refrigerated.

Fully cooked, leftover cabbage noodles will keep in the refrigerator for up to three days. They taste best when reheated in the oven, tightly covered at 325°F for 30 to 45 minutes (depending on the quantity), but the microwave does a perfectly acceptable job as well. We recommend using 70% power and stirring them often for even heating.

 

Nutrition

Calories: 297, Total Fat: 14g, Cholesterol: 69mg, Sodium: 321mg, Carbohydrates: 36g, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 4g, Protein: 8g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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