Pasta with purple cabbage pesto: sometimes it takes just a few ingredients to bring something different to the table. A purple cabbage, a few almonds, some fresh basil and a good cheese: simple ingredients that, blended together, become a silky cream with a surprising color.
The purple cabbage pesto is a sauce that is delicate and fragrant, perfect for coating pasta and turning an everyday first course into something special, inexpensive and quick. After a short cooking time the cabbage becomes soft and sweet and combines with the almonds and cheeses to create a rustic, flavorful cream.
This is an easy and quick recipe, ideal when you want to serve a genuine first course different from the usual. If you love creamy pasta sauces, on the blog you can also find the very fragrant Bronte pistachio pesto, or the classic Sicilian sun-dried tomato pesto, rich and tasty.
This pesto works well with several pasta shapes: you can use it with short pasta such as cavatelli, or homemade busiate, maccheroni al ferretto, or homemade gnocchetti sardi.
Try it with the pasta just drained and finish with a sprinkle of cheese: you’ll have a creamy, fragrant first course with a beautiful color, similar to beetroot pesto pasta, which surprises at first sight.
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Also check out these original pesto recipes that are different from the usual, for amazing pasta first courses!
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Very inexpensive
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Cooking time: 25 Minutes
- Portions: 5
- Cooking methods: Stovetop, Microwave
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients to make pasta with purple cabbage pesto
- 18 oz fresh pasta (or 12 oz dried)
- 11 oz purple cabbage
- 2.5 oz Parmesan cheese
- 1 oz Pecorino cheese
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 small bunch basil (if in season)
- 1 tbsp lemon juice (to enhance the pesto color)
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 pinch black pepper
- 7 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Tools
- Blender
- Pot
Steps to make pasta with purple cabbage pesto
Let’s start by preparing the purple cabbage pesto: remove the toughest outer leaves from the purple cabbage, wash it well under running water and cut it in half. Then reduce it to pieces or coarse strips. Transfer the cabbage to a microwave-safe bowl, cover it and cook for about 15 minutes at 750w, until it becomes soft. Alternatively, you can steam it or braise it in a pan over low heat with a little water until tender. Let it cool.
Meanwhile, toast the almonds in a nonstick pan for a few minutes, stirring often, until they are lightly golden and fragrant.
Transfer the cooked purple cabbage and the toasted almonds to the mixer.
Add the Parmesan, the Pecorino, the garlic, fresh basil if in season, the lemon juice (to keep the bright color), a pinch of salt and a turn of black pepper.
Pour in the extra virgin olive oil and blend everything until you obtain a smooth, homogeneous cream.
If necessary, add a little more oil to adjust the consistency.
Bring plenty of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta until al dente.
Drain the pasta and transfer it to a bowl or pan. Add the purple cabbage pesto and mix well, adding a few tablespoons of the pasta cooking water if needed to make the sauce creamier.
Serve the pasta on plates and finish with a sprinkle of Parmesan and a few fresh basil leaves.
Storage notes and tips
Pasta with purple cabbage pesto is best enjoyed immediately, when the sauce is creamy and wraps the pasta well. If any is left over you can store it in the refrigerator in an airtight container for 1 day. When serving again, reheat it in a pan with a tablespoon of water or a drizzle of oil to restore creaminess.
The purple cabbage pesto, on the other hand, can be kept in the refrigerator for 2-3 days in a well-sealed jar, covered with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
For an even more fragrant result you can lightly toast the almonds before blending. If you prefer, you can substitute walnuts or pistachios.
Lemon juice not only adds freshness but also helps preserve the vivid purple color of the cabbage.
If you want to make the dish creamier you can add a few tablespoons of ricotta or stracciatella when tossing the pasta.
This pesto is also perfect for topping bruschetta, crostini or sandwiches, or for enriching a bowl of grains like farro or couscous.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can purple cabbage pesto be made without cooking the cabbage?
Yes, purple cabbage pesto can be prepared raw, but lightly cooking it makes it softer, more digestible and milder in flavor. In this recipe the cabbage is briefly cooked to obtain a creamier pesto.
Which pasta pairs well with purple cabbage pesto?
Purple cabbage pesto pairs very well with short pasta that holds the sauce, such as trofie, fusilli, cavatelli or gnocchetti sardi. Fresh homemade pasta also works great because it captures the pesto cream.
How to make the pasta with purple cabbage pesto creamy?
To obtain creamy pasta it’s important to add one or two tablespoons of the pasta cooking water while mixing the pesto. This way the sauce binds better and coats the pasta without becoming dry.
Can the pasta with purple cabbage pesto be prepared in advance?
It’s best to prepare the pasta at the moment, but the purple cabbage pesto can be prepared in advance and stored in the refrigerator for 2-3 days in a well-closed container covered with a drizzle of oil.
How to make the pasta with purple cabbage pesto more flavorful?
To enrich the dish you can add toasted almonds, a sprinkle of Parmesan or a few fresh basil leaves. A little ricotta or stracciatella can also make the pasta even creamier.
