I composed this dinner in my head all day while I was preparing for a big meeting with my supervisor. The only vegetables left in the house were half a small red cabbage, a bunch of parsley, and some garlic and onions. I had looked around the internet for ideas for red cabbage the day before, and someone suggested caramelising the cabbage and serving it with pasta. That took care of the cabbage and onions, and I figured the parsley could get used up in a nice zesty gremolata, which is like a pesto but without the nuts. The lack of nuts produces a very zippy puree, what with the raw garlic and lemon juice and straight-up parsley. You might even say “bracing.” Traditionally served as a balance note to rich lamb shanks, I figured it would nicely balance the rich and sweet onions and cabbage caramelised in olive oil and a couple of pinches of sugar. And it did! Add a few toasted pine nuts and some salt and pepper, and you have a quick, cheap, very tasty pasta dish.
Tags: pasta
