Cabbage Carbonara-ish

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Cabbage Carbonara-ish is from the cookbook Tenderheart by Hetty McKinnon, which is a love letter of sorts to vegetables. Oddly enough, in this pasta dish, cabbage stands in for bacon by cooking down to become sweet, earthy and jammy. Miso provides that umami boost. As with a traditional carbonara, eggs that are tempered by the starchy pasta cooking water deliver that delicious creaminess and grated cheese seals the deal.

This is the ultimate pantry meal/budget dinner, where the majority of the cooking time is spent waiting for water to boil and cabbage to cook down undisturbed. It’s also the epitome of the comfort food I am currently craving. I hope that you, too, are able to find some semblance of comfort in small things.

Pasta Carbonara-ish
Print Recipe

Pasta Carbonara-ish

Servings: 4

Ingredients

  • 5 large eggs
  • 2 1/2 Tbls white (shiro) miso
  • 1 3/4 oz Parmesan or pecorino, grated plus more to serve
  • sea salt and black pepper
  • 1/4 c olive oil
  • 1/2 large head green cabbage, finely sliced discard the core
  • 1 yellow onion, finely sliced
  • 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 1 lb spaghetti or other long pasta
  • 1 bunch parsley leaves (about 2 ½ ounces), finely chopped

Instructions

  • Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. 
  • In a bowl, whisk together 3 egg yolks plus 2 whole eggs and the miso until smooth. Stir in the cheese and a generous grind of black pepper.
  • Heat a large wide Dutch oven or deep skillet over medium-high heat until very hot. Add the oil, cabbage and onion, along with ½ teaspoon of sea salt, and cook for 8-10 minutes, mainly undisturbed (stirring every 3-4 minutes), until the cabbage is tender, wilted and starting to turn golden in parts. Reduce the heat to low, add the garlic and 1 teaspoon of sea salt and stir to combine. Keep over low heat while your pasta cooks.
  • Meanwhile, add the pasta to the boiling water and set your timer for 2 minutes less than the recommended cooking time on the package. For example, if the recommended al dente cooking time is 10 minutes, set the timer for 8 minutes. When the pasta is ready, using tongs, drag the pasta straight into the pan with the cabbage — don’t drain, leave the pasta cooking water in the pot — and add 1 cup of pasta water. Increase the heat to medium high and cook for 2 minutes to finish cooking the pasta. Remove the pan from the heat and allow it to cool for 30–60 seconds.
  • Very gradually add ¼ cup of pasta water to the egg mixture to loosen it up. Slowly pour the egg mixture into the hot pasta, stirring vigorously and continuously with a wooden spoon, until the eggy mix gently cooks and turns into a creamy sauce. To serve, top with the parsley, more cheese and black pepper.
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