Brown Butter Bucatini With Charred Cabbage
Charred cabbage brings a complex combination of flavors, from savory to bitter to sweet, to this simple but satisfying weeknight pasta. As it cooks, the cabbage also turns silky, clinging to the bucatini like the most delicious of frills. The pecans play off the natural nutty notes of the charred cabbage and brown butter. Like cacio e pepe or other pastas that fuse melted cheese with pasta water, this dish tightens up quickly, so make sure to have plenty of pasta water on hand to loosen it as needed.
- Preparation:
- Cooking:
- Total:
- Serves: 4 persons
Ingredients
- Salt and freshly cracked black pepper
- 2tablespoons grapeseed or other neutral-flavored oil
- 1small green cabbage (about 1 ½ pounds), halved, cored and thinly sliced
- 12ounces bucatini
- 8tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into chunks
- ½cup roughly chopped raw pecans
- 2cups/6 ounces coarsely grated Parmesan
- ⅓cup parsley leaves, roughly chopped
Instructions
Step 1
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Season the water with enough salt that it tastes like a slightly salty soup.Step 2
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat the oil until it shimmers. Add the cabbage and a large pinch of salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until the cabbage softens, shrinks and becomes deeply charred in spots, 20 to 25 minutes. Season aggressively with pepper, taste for salt and season accordingly, and transfer the cabbage to a plate. Wipe out the skillet.Step 3
Add the bucatini to the boiling water and cook for 1 minute less than the package instructs. Drain, reserving 2 cups of pasta water.Step 4
To the large skillet, add the butter, pecans and a pinch of salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the butter turns golden brown and smells nutty, 2 to 3 minutes. Add 1 cup of pasta water, the cabbage and the cooked pasta and stir to coat. Simmer until the sauce thickens, 3 to 5 minutes. Add half of the cheese and all the parsley and stir vigorously until the sauce coats the pasta and the cheese melts. If the pasta seems too dry, add a splash of pasta water.Step 5
Divide among bowls and top with the remaining cheese and some freshly cracked black pepper. Serve immediately.