Ready to discover a new ingredient? Today we try pak choi cabbage rolls with mortadella and Greek feta! I’m sure many of you already know the Chinese cabbage pak choi and likely use it in your recipes, but this is my first time. I was so curious that for months I studied recipes to try this ingredient. Then I found this recipe for rolls with Chinese cabbage. I thought about which ingredients to use for the filling and chose mortadella and Greek feta.
Do you know pak choi? The Chinese cabbage, also known as bok choy or pak-choi, is cultivated and widespread in East Asia and originates from China. It has a bright green color and a texture similar to chard. Indeed, its leaves look very similar; even when blanched they resemble chard and its ribs. I think I will also make a baked timbale with pak choi in the future.
How to cook Chinese cabbage? We’ll prepare together this tasty and fragrant main course. You can read the recipe and follow the video recipe below, under the first photo. We will blanch the pak choi leaves, then create the rolls stuffed with mortadella and feta and finish cooking in the oven. The whole preparation will take about 30 minutes. Of course you can vary the filling of these pak choi bundles if you don’t like mortadella and feta. Feta is quite salty and therefore contrasts nicely with the sweetness of mortadella, but if you don’t like it you can choose crescenza, stracchino or robiola instead.
I love making rolls, especially with vegetables or produce. I enjoy creating these bundles filled with cheese, cold cuts or ground meat. I can let my imagination run wild, creating new combinations each time to bring different mains to the table. Complete dishes with vegetables, meat or fish that always surprise my guests or family.
I leave some of my favorite recipes below. Each link is clickable and will take you directly to the recipe you choose to read. My favorites are the zucchini rolls with cheese and the bresaola rolls with pistachio. They are among the summer dishes I make at least once a week because they are easy to prepare. Let me know which rolls you like and if you try these recipes.
Before moving on to the pak choi cabbage rolls with mortadella and feta, I remind you that I wait for you every morning in the group and on the Le Ricette di Bea Facebook page with the Recipe of the Day! An unmissable appointment to start the day with a sweet or savory treat! If you wish, you can subscribe to the free newsletter to receive one email per month, on the first of the month, with three recipes linked by an ingredient or a single theme.
And now here’s how to cook Chinese cabbage with my recipe! Finally you can stop asking: how do you cook Chinese cabbage?!
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Budget-friendly
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Cooking time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 4 people
- Cooking methods: Oven, Stove
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
- Energy 127.17 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 4.84 (g) of which sugars 0.98 (g)
- Proteins 6.16 (g)
- Fat 9.43 (g) of which saturated 3.92 (g)of which unsaturated 3.45 (g)
- Fibers 0.69 (g)
- Sodium 507.48 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 90 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients to make pak choi cabbage rolls with mortadella and feta
- 16 leaves Chinese cabbage (or pak choi)
- 2.5 oz feta
- 3.5 oz mortadella (thinly sliced)
- 4 tbsp grated cheese
- 3 tbsp breadcrumbs
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 pinch black pepper
- to taste extra virgin olive oil
Tools to prepare pak choi cabbage rolls
- 1 Pot
- 1 Colander
- 1 Cutting board
- 1 Oven
- 1 Baking pan
- 1 Knife
- 1 Dish towel
Steps for pak choi cabbage rolls with feta and mortadella
I start the preparation by cleaning the Chinese cabbage. I place the two Chinese cabbages on a cutting board and trim the ends with a knife. I separate the leaves and wash them under the tap water. I put a pot with plenty of water on the stove and bring it to a boil, adding a pinch of salt. When the water reaches a boil, I proceed. I immerse the Chinese cabbage leaves and cook them for a couple of minutes so they become more pliable but without breaking.
I place a colander in the sink and pour in the pot contents. I immediately pass the pak choi leaves into cold water; if you have ice, add it to the water, and let the cabbage cool. Then I lay the leaves on a cutting board and pat them dry with a dish towel.
I preheat the oven in fan mode to 356°F. I take the baking pan and oil the bottom with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with breadcrumbs. I place the pan on the work surface and gather the ingredients needed for the filling so I can proceed quickly.
I cut the feta into not-too-thick pieces because very large pieces could tear the pak choi leaves when rolling, and I break up the slices of mortadella. I place the mortadella at the tip of the leaf, add a piece of Greek feta and start rolling toward the leaf rib. With a knife I remove the tougher excess part of the cabbage and seal the edges well. I place the rolls in the baking pan as I go.
When all ingredients are used, I will have obtained about 16 stuffed Chinese cabbage rolls. I drizzle with a little extra virgin olive oil. I sprinkle with salt, pepper, breadcrumbs and cheese, in my case Grana Padano. Finally, I bake them for the final cooking of this recipe.
I place the pan in the middle of the oven and let them bake for 12-15 minutes. The Chinese cabbage rolls will turn golden on the outside and stay soft inside thanks to the feta that will soften with the heat. I’m ready to serve this tasty and fragrant main course and enjoy this new ingredient for me.
I can only wish you a buon appetito and remind you that I wait for you every day here on my blog with many easy, quick and very tasty recipes like this one!
Tips, storage and variations for pak choi rolls with Greek feta and mortadella
Tips for getting flavorful and fragrant Chinese cabbage rolls: do not overcook the cabbage leaves, otherwise they may break and you won’t be able to roll them. Cut the feta into slices that are not too large to make rolling easier. Do not set the oven temperature too high, or the rolls may dry out and lose the meaty texture they should have.
Storing the pak choi bundles: you can keep this dish in a lidded container in the refrigerator for a few days. Let them cool on the kitchen counter first and then transfer to the container. You can freeze these rolls for about one month.
Recipe variations: you can replace the Greek feta with crescenza or stracchino. You can also choose mozzarella or robiola, if you prefer. If you don’t like mortadella, you can use prosciutto crudo or cooked ham. If you have Pecorino Romano, you can use it instead of Grana Padano. Keep in mind that changing the filling cheese will lower the saltiness, so the bolder Pecorino Romano is perfect to add flavor to this dish.
