This simple pasta dish serves as a great side dish for roasted, grilled or pan seared pork. The slight bitterness of the radicchio offsets the sweetness of the cabbage perfectly, and the anchovies add a fabulous layer of flavor with just a hint of saltiness.

Pasta with Cabbage, Radicchio and Garlic

A simple side dish of pasta, sauteed cabbage and radicchio, flavored with a generous dose of garlic and a hint of anchovy.

Author: Lynne Webb
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
6 anchovy fillets
1/2 medium onion, chopped
6 cloves garlic, very finely chopped
6 cups cabbage, thinly sliced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cups radicchio, thinly sliced
12 ounces casarecce, gemelli or similar shaped cut of pasta
Parmigiana-Reggiano for grating

Instructions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for the pasta.
Heat the olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the anchovies and cook, stirring frequently, until they turn to a paste.
Add the onions and garlic and sauté until the onions are nicely softened, about 4 minutes.
Add half of the cabbage and cook until slightly wilted, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the remaining cabbage and season well with salt and pepper. Continue cooking, stirring frequently, until the cabbage is soft and lightly caramelized, 6 to 8 minutes.
While the cabbage is cooking, cook the pasta according to package directions, drain and return to the pan.
Add the cabbage, mix well, then add the radicchio. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed.
Serve immediately, topped with grated Parmigiana-Reggiano.

Notes

Recipe Notes:

The word “casarecce” means homemade in Italian. This cut of pasta is a thin, rolled tube and we chose it because the shape combines so nicely with the thin shreds of cabbage and radicchio. Gemelli would be our second choice, but any tubular cut of pasta will work just fine.

Pasta with Cabbage, Radicchio and Garlic