Talk about the perfect pasta dish for a stormy night-this is it. I couldn’t have asked for better weather for serving this pasta. It was raining, hailing and super windy and with a fire going in the fireplace, it was almost as if we were somewhere other than Southern California at the end of February.
I’ve written about my fondness for the Off Duty section of the Saturday Wall Street Journal before and this is another recipe that I discovered there. This series of Slow Food Fast recipes comes from Amaryll Schwertner, chef and owner of Boulette’s Larder in the Ferry Building in San Francisco. If you ever find yourself near the Ferry Building you owe it to yourself to stop by Boulette’s for a meal. We were lucky to discover this intimate and very interesting spot not long after it opened. You can dine in or get food and incredible ingredients to go. I personally plan on hosting a dinner party there some day. Want to come along?
The crispy bacon, creamy potatoes and tasty cabbage made for the perfect pasta dish on a wintry evening. Use the best Italian pasta you can find-it makes all the difference.
Egg Pasta With Cabbage, Potato And Bacon
6 ounces bacon (or pancetta or guanciale) cut into 1/4″ pieces
1 medium yellow onion, sliced thinly
6 cups cabbage, preferably Savoy, sliced thinly
1 teaspoon sugar
Olive oil as needed
1-1/2 large russet potatoes, peeled and diced into 1/2″ pieces
3/4 pound egg tagliatelle or fettuccine
Ricotta Salata or Parmigiano-Reggiano
Salt and black pepper to taste
Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Set a large sauté pan over medium-low heat. Add bacon and cook until fat is rendered and bacon is browned, about 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer bacon to a plate.
Increase heat to medium and add onion. Stir to coat and cook until translucent, about 2 minutes. Stir in cabbage, sugar and pinch of salt. Cook, over medium-high heat, until lightly caramelized, about 13 minutes. As cabbage breaks down, it should be lightly coated in drippings. If it’s dry, add a swirl of oil.
Meanwhile, add potatoes to the boiling water. Boil until al dente, about 7 minutes. Remove potatoes with a slotted spoon from the pot. Add to cabbage mixture and season with salt and pepper. Sauté until flavors meld, about 3 minutes.
Add pasta to boiling water. Cook until al dente. In a large bowl, toss pasta with potato-cabbage mixture, bacon. Sprinkle with ricotta salata or parmigiano-reggiano. Season with salt and freshly cracked pepper.
I’m sure this is delicious! It reminds me of the dish my parents made every week when I was young…I think it was an inexpensive meal when they were on a budget.
Fried cabbage, onions, and bacon, s&p. I think that was it.
Cath-I loved that you ate this growing up!
This looks and sounds amazing! I can’t wait to try it. And I didn’t even know Boulette’s Larder existed in the Ferry Building, but I will be trying that out too!
Please explain the addition of the ricotta salata. I didn’t see it in the ingredients, and I’m not sure what it is or what to do with it… I need more Italy in my life!!
Kels-I forgot to put it in the ingredients-just shave over pasta or you can use parmigiano instead. Go and check out Boulette’s. It’s on the back side of the building-I think it’s near that Japanese deli place.
I came upon your site through a search on the town of Calitri. I am a Canadian with no Italian roots but will be staying in a house in the old town for a week in October. I can at least live like an Italian for a fe weeks out of the year and will be taking cooking classes. I hope that one of the dishes in cingul or at the very least being able to taste it.
Bellini-I would love to hear all about your stay in Calitri. How did you decide to go there? Are you renting an apartment in the centro? Please keep in touch! We plan on some day spending a month there and using it as a base for exploring the area. When are you going?