Everytime we make the Tuscan Bean Soup, we end up with a bunch of left over cabbage. I don’t have a wide range of cabbage recipes for the left over cabbage, so I am always in search of new ones. I never would have thought to combine cabbage and pasta, but it definitely works. I am sure the bacon, which we used instead of pancetta, didn’t hurt. The one thing I learned is that you have to use fresh mozzarella or some other really soft cheese. I substituted some packaged mozzarella and it didn’t melt. Also, I wouldn’t skip the pine nuts, they add a ton of flavor. I know they can be pricey, but it is pretty cheap to buy a couple ounce if they have them in the bulk section of you supermarket.
Farfalle With Savoy Cabbage, Pancetta, And Mozzarella
Ingredients:
- 10 strips pancetta or lean bacon, thinly sliced
- Olive oil
- 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
- 1 good handful thyme, leaves picked from the stem
- 1/2 large Savoy cabbage (outer leaves removed), quartered, cored, and finely sliced
- Handful grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 pound dried farfalle
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Extra-virgin olive oil 7 ounces fresh buffalo mozzarella, cut into 1/2-inch dice
- 2 handfuls pine nuts, lightly toasted
Directions:
- In a pan fry off pancetta in a little olive oil until lightly golden. Add garlic and thyme and cook until softened. Add the Savoy cabbage and Parmesan, then stir and put the lid on the pan. Cook for a further 15 minutes, shaking every now and again, while you cook farfalle in salted boiling water until al dente.
- When the cabbage is nice and tender, season and loosen with some nice peppery extra-virgin olive oil. Toss the drained farfalle pasta into the cabbage and at the last minute mix in mozzarella and pine nuts. Serve immediately.