The 4-Ingredient Dinner I Make Once a Week (For Bonkers Weeknights)

My family has a home on Cape Cod that we visit from time to time and to describe it as spartan would be incredibly generous. As a chef, the kitchen is a nightmare. The knives are terrible, the pans are an abomination, and the fridge is shockingly empty. 

When we go up for a longer stretch, we’ll stock the pantry and fridge with just enough food to get by. Not only do I hate to waste food, but leaving trash behind isn’t an option, and riding home with a bag of garbage is not a pleasant way to spend four hours in traffic.

When we are there just for a long weekend, I like to challenge myself to buy just enough food to get by for our stay. It’s like my very own version of Chopped, except my kids are the judges. Scary! 

One recent weekend while we were there, I opened my fridge to find a sad head of cabbage left over from a visit to one of our favorite local farms. I also found some butter that needed to be used up and a generous hunk of Parmigiano-Reggiano. I scrounged through the pantry and uncovered some spaghetti and knew just what to make: caramelized cabbage spaghetti. 

A Family Meal Everyone Can Love

Cabbage is the type of vegetable I can always feed my kids. When cooked for a long time, it gets extra sweet and doesn’t send out any green vegetable red flags; it blends seamlessly into the spaghetti. 

Inspired by a family favorite, Deb Pearlman’s Zucchini Butter Spaghetti, this pasta dish has become a go-to weeknight pasta dish for those evenings when I don’t know what to cook. It’s super quick, only requires a handful of ingredients, is packed with vegetables, and everyone will eat it. What more could you ask for? 

How To Make My Caramelized Cabbage Spaghetti

For 4 to 6 servings, you’ll need:

• 1 medium cabbage (about 2 1/2 pounds)
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for pasta water
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, optional
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pound spaghetti (or pasta of choice) 
• 4 ounces (120g) Parmigiano-Reggiano, finely grated (about 1 cup)
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, optional

Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil over high heat. Halve and core the cabbage, then thinly shred.

In a large saucepan or large, deep skillet, add the butter and melt over medium heat. Add the cabbage, salt, red pepper (if using) and black pepper. Cook, stirring often, for about 20 minutes, or until the cabbage has cooked down significantly and is deeply caramelized. If it becomes too dry as it cooks, add a splash or two of the pasta water to prevent it from sticking and to deglaze the pan. 

Meanwhile, once the pasta water reaches a boil, salt generously and add the pasta. Cook until al dente. Reserve about 1 cup of pasta water, then drain. 

Add the cooked pasta to the saucepan with the cabbage along with the Parm and about 1/2 cup of reserved pasta water. Reduce the heat to low, and cook, stirring constantly, until the pasta is creamy and the cheese has melted. Add a little more pasta water as needed to create a creamy sauce. Remove from the heat and garnish with fresh parsley (if desired) before serving. 

Transfer leftovers into an airtight storage container and store in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days. Add a splash of water before reheating to help loosen the sauce.

Simple Tweaks to This Recipe

I’ve used this same recipe with lots of pasta shapes, but my kids prefer spaghetti. Feel free to swap it for whatever shape you have on hand. I like using green cabbage, but any head of cabbage you need to use up will work well. Just make sure to shred it thinly and cook it until it is super caramelized and sweet! (Note that red cabbage will turn the pasta an interesting color.)

If I’m feeling fancy, I will crisp up about two ounces of bacon or pancetta in the pan first and use the fat in place of some of the butter to caramelize the cabbage. Then I’ll top the pasta with the crisp pork before serving.