Among the oven-baked first courses ideal for holidays or for Sunday lunch, baked pasta with cabbage and sausage is one that, in my opinion, best suits the cold autumn and winter days. This intensely flavored dish combines the richness of sausage with the typically wintery flavor of stewed savoy cabbage, made even more enveloping by the creaminess of béchamel sauce. The golden crust on top, indispensable, adds that crunchy note that wins everyone over. Preparing baked pasta with cabbage and sausage is straightforward: cabbage and sausage cook together in the pan for 10-15 minutes, enough time to make the savoy cabbage tender (without needing to pre-boil it) and the sausage well browned. Once ready, simply combine the already cooked pasta, the béchamel sauce, and the cheese of your choice (I chose sweet scamorza). After half an hour in the oven, the pie will be perfectly gratinated on the outside and soft inside, ready to be served at the table and make every occasion special!
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- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very economical
- Preparation time: 30 Minutes
- Portions: 4People
- Cooking methods: Oven, Stove
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Autumn, Winter
- Energy 558.07 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 38.08 (g) of which sugars 5.88 (g)
- Proteins 24.21 (g)
- Fat 34.74 (g) of which saturated 8.15 (g)of which unsaturated 3.93 (g)
- Fibers 5.24 (g)
- Sodium 917.44 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 270 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 for the Pasta Pie with Cabbage and Sausage
If you are celiac, in addition to using gluten-free pasta, make sure the sausage also has the “gluten-free” label.
- 10.5 oz pasta (for me gluten-free)
- 14.1 oz savoy cabbage
- 5.3 oz sausage
- 1.5 cups béchamel sauce
- 3.5 oz scamorza cheese
- 2 tablespoons Parmigiano Reggiano DOP (grated)
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup dry white wine
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 pinch salt
Tools
- 1 Cutting Board
- 1 Knife
- 1 Colander
- 1 Frying Pan non-stick large with lid
- 1 Baking Dish approximately 13×10 inches
- 1 Spoon
How to Prepare Baked Pasta with Cabbage and Sausage
For the English version of this recipe click here!
To prepare baked pasta with cabbage and sausage, start by cleaning the savoy cabbage: cut it in half, incise the core with a knife, and remove it (1). Then cut the leaves into strips (2). Place them in a colander and rinse them thoroughly (3). Drain them well but leave them damp, so they will cook better.
In a large non-stick frying pan pour the oil and add the peeled garlic (4). As soon as it starts to fry, add the sausage, after removing the casing and cutting it into pieces (5). Use the tip of the spoon to crumble it well; let it brown for 3-4 minutes, then turn the heat to high and deglaze with the white wine (6).
Mix well and let the wine evaporate for about a minute, until you no longer smell alcohol. At this point, add the sliced cabbage (7) and a pinch of salt. Mix and let it sauté for a minute, then wet everything with 3.4 oz of hot water (8). Cover with a lid and let the cabbage stew over medium heat for 10-15 minutes (9).
When soft, remove the lid to let the cooking liquid dry a little, if it is still too wet. Then turn off the heat (10). While the cabbage is cooking, cut the scamorza into cubes (11) and prepare the béchamel sauce (12). If you want to use a lighter sauce, you can opt for this butter-free béchamel.
Cook the pasta in plenty of salted water and drain it when it is still a little firm to the bite. Transfer it to the pan with the sauce and mix well to combine it with the cabbage and sausage. Then add the scamorza cubes and the béchamel sauce (13), keeping 2-3 tablespoons aside to garnish the pie. Mix carefully (14).
Transfer the pasta to a baking dish, spreading it evenly. Finish with the remaining béchamel sauce and a couple of tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese (15). Cook the baked pasta with cabbage and sausage in a preheated oven at 356°F (fan) for about 30 minutes, until it is golden brown on top (16).
Take it out of the oven and let it rest for just 5 minutes, so you can cut and enjoy it better. Serve the pasta pie immediately.
Storage
You can store the pasta pie in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. If you want to freeze it—perhaps to get ahead for the holidays—you can do so when it’s raw and then cook it still frozen. In that case, extend the cooking time by about 15 minutes.
You can store the pasta pie in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. If you want to freeze it—perhaps to get ahead for the holidays—you can do so when it’s raw and then cook it still frozen. In that case, extend the cooking time by about 15 minutes.
Tips and Variations
For baked pasta with cabbage and sausage, I used cellentani (or cavatappi), a shape that works well for pies and casseroles. Alternatively, you can use fusilli, mezze maniche, or rigatoni.
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
What can I use instead of sausage?
You can replace the sausage with the same amount of bacon or speck.
