I love me some corned beef! Yum, yum, yum!
Place it in your slow cooker add the seasoning packet and water then simmer all day on low. Couldn’t be any easier!
But the boiled cabbage? Not so much. I love cabbage but boiling it destroys all the things I love about it. It’s bland and rubbery when boiled, no thanks!
So today I’m sharing a Hungarian twist to the cabbage part of Corned Beef & Cabbage. My mother often made this version of cabbage with noodles and it’s a traditional peasant style dish.
In the old country my grandparents had 7 mouths to feed and little to feed them with. After the war food was scarce so they cooked meals using the vegetables they grew in their garden along with potatoes or noodles. There was very little meat so vegetables and starches were the staple of their diet.
Cabbage was easy to grow and nutritious so they ate a lot of it.
For this recipe you will need a head of cabbage, one diced onion, 8 oz of pasta in your favorite shape. I love to use Campanelle. It’s ruffled edges grab and hold onto the cabbage nicely. Butter, salt, pepper and paprika.
Cut cabbage into shreds; take the head of cabbage and cut it in half, then into quarters. Cut out the core from each quarter and then slice each quarter as thinly as possible, into shreds. You will end up with a lot of cabbage, but don’t worry, it will cook down to less than half in volume.
In a large pot, cook the pasta as directed on the package.
grab onto the cooked cabbage nicely.
While the pasta is cooking, heat about 2-3 tablespoons of butter in an extra large pan. When the butter has melted add the diced onion and sliced cabbage and cook over medium heat until it cooks down to at least 1/2 its volume, this takes about 20-30 minutes.
Once the cabbage has cooked down add salt and pepper to taste. Add a heaping teaspoon of paprika and stir well to distribute it throughout the cabbage.
this bag of paprika from Hungary!
Drain pasta once it is finished cooking and add it to the cooked cabbage. Stir to combine and serve.
Hungarian Cabbage & Noodles
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 head of cabbage, cored and sliced
- 2 tablespoons butter or vegetable oil
- Salt & pepper to taste
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 8 oz. Campanelle pasta
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, cook pasta till al dente, and drain. In a large pan, heat oil or butter and add onion and cabbage. Cook over medium heat for 20-30 minutes until reduced in volume by at least half. Season with salt, pepper and paprika. Stir in cooked pasta, and combine until incorporated.
Enjoy it on it’s own or with corned beef for a delicious alternative to the traditional Corned Beef & Cabbage dinner.