I know I’m likely in the minority, but I think I’m a winter person.
January is here, and I love the quiet of the winter months. I always hope for snow and treasure the contentment of a late winter afternoon staring at the blue shadows on the snow with my cup of tea. I even drag out my decades-old silver tea ball and start buying fresh loose tea. (As my husband would say: “You’re not right. Who likes winter?”)
Anyway, returning to the kitchen, January is a great time for comforting but pared down meals. After the excesses of the holiday season, simple soups, stews and pastas are welcome.
Indulging my never-ending love of cookbooks, I recently bought a small gem by Lidia Bastianich, famed restaurateur, television chef and prolific cookbook author. It is called “Commonsense Italian Cooking.” Lidia’s theory here is that humble ingredients can make delicious meals and that no food should be thrown away. I read that last part with guilt and vowed to try to find a place for my leftover veggies.
I found a wonderful little recipe from the cookbook called “Farfalle Della Bisnonna” or “Bowties with Cabbage and Meat Sauce.” It was perfect for a cold night before Christmas. Lidia shares that this dish was her grandmother’s favorite and that she could eat it for lunch and dinner.
Cabbage, always available when other vegetables look tired and worn out in winter, and sausage make excellent partners in this easy-to-prepare pasta recipe. Lidia uses Italian sweet sausage, but you could use hot sausage or even the many varieties of chicken and turkey sausage. Lidia even suggests using chopped cooked chicken if you prefer. And you can substitute penne for the bowties or the very wide noodles known as pappardelle.
Farfalle Della Bisnonna
Ingredients
- kosher salt
- 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- ½ pound Italian sweet sausage, removed from the casing
- ½ cup chopped carrot
- ½ cup chopped celery
- ½ cup chopped onion
- ¼ to ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- ½ head Savoy or regular cabbage, shredded (about 4 cups)
- 1 pound bowtie pasta (farfalle)
- ½ cup grated Parmesan Reggiano
Directions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for the pasta.
- In a large, deep skillet, over medium heat, heat 4 tablespoons of the olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the sausage. Cook, crumbling with a wooden spoon, until browned, about 3 minutes.
- Add the chopped carrot, onion and celery, and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
- Season with the dried red pepper flakes and the thyme.
- Make an empty spot in the pan and add the tomato paste. Let it “toast” in the pan for a minute or two and then stir it into to the chopped vegetables.
- Add the cabbage and 3 cups water. (I substituted 1 cup of white wine for 1 cup of the water.)
- Cover and cook until the cabbage is wilted, about 20 minutes. Then uncover the pan and continue cooking to thicken the sauce, about 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, cook the pasta until al dente. Then drain and add to the sauce.
- Add the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil (or more if you prefer) and toss very well. (The pasta should be completely coated with the sauce.)
- Add the grated cheese and toss well again.
This recipe seemed to make a lot of pasta, so it will feed a family or provide leftovers for lunch. And you might be surprised how sweet the cabbage becomes with slow cooking even if you think you don’t like cabbage. I served it with some warm Italian bread and sliced cold Bartlett pears. My husband was happy that his nightly vegetable was already in his main dish!
There may not be many winter fans out there in the world, but I hope this comforting pasta dish warms your January.
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