Cabbage Rolls with Fresh Fettucine

This came about because I was looking for a good dish to test the delay and slow cooker function on the electric pressure cooker we got.  I will say that they worked great.

Many countries and cultures seem to have some form of cabbage rolls or stuffed cabbage in their cuisine.  Whether it is called a cabbage roll or stuffed cabbage seems to vary with no  rhyme or reason.  Whatever the reason, they are tasty, fairly simple to make, and offer a fine vehicle for experimentation.

Most cabbage roll recipes seem to be cabbage leaves stuffed with beef, rice, and onion and cooked in some form of tomato sauce.  I've also seen recipes using pork or a mixture of beef and pork.  Most German recipes I've seen are only pork and beef and the cabbage roll is cooked in a brown gravy.  Polish recipes have tended to be beef and pork with tomato sauce.  Hungarian recipes have had pork and veal with tomato sauce.  Italian recipes have been a mixture of sweet Italian sausage and beef with tomato sauce.  You get the picture, there is both variety and consistency.  I stuffed mine with my hot Italian sausage, rice, onion, sweet peppers, and mushrooms.

Ready to roll

 The hardest part of the process was peeling the cabbage leaves without tearing them.  Since I was just doing a few I didn't need to do the whole head of cabbage.  I did come across something last night where they prepped the whole head and bundled the leaves in batch size lots and froze them.  I'll have to give that a try.

Freshly stuffed and rolled cabbage leaf

I figured that since I was going to cover the cabbage rolls with my marina sauce it was only fitting to serve some fresh pasta with them.  My good wife said fettucine when offered the choices so that is what we had.  I think it was an excellent choice.

Cabbage Rolls

1 lb hot Italian sausage
3/4 cup rice, I used brown Minute rice
1/2 medium onion, chopped
4 oz baby bella mushrooms, chopped
3 small sweet peppers, seeded and chopped
Cabbage leaves

Combine all the stuffing ingredients in a bowl.  Blanch the cabbage leaves to make them pliable.  Spoon a bit of the meat mixture onto the leaf near one end.  Fold that end over the meat, fold the two sides over that, and finish rolling.  Put the cabbage rolls in the slow cooker and cover with your favorite tomato sauce.  Cook for 4 hours.

Cabbage stuffed and waiting on the sauce

My marina sauce recipe is quick and easy.  Puree 2 large cans of tomatoes, add Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and garlic powder to your taste.  Bring to a simmer for 20 minutes.  For us, I use about 3 Tbs of Italian seasoning, and 1 Tbs of the salt, pepper, and garlic powder.  I say about because I use my palm to measure but I am fairly accurate doing it that way.  The salt and pepper get started with two large pinches each and then smaller pinches to adjust after tasting.  After all, some canned tomatoes have more salt than others.

Sauced up and ready to cook

Pasta Dough

2 cups flour
3 eggs
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp olive oil

Sift together the flour and salt.  Make a whole in  the middle and add the eggs and olive oil.  Start in the middle and work your way out to combine.  Turn the dough out on your cutting board and knead to smooth it out.  Cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 20 minutes.  Divide the ball into 4 pieces and start rolling your pasta to desired thickness.  Cook in well salted water.

Rolling and cutting the pasta is the most time consuming portion of this meal.  The taste and texture of fresh pasta makes it well worth it though.  Even though "experts" say don't do it, I tossed the fettucine with olive oil after it was drained.  This adds a bit of flavor and keeps it from sticking while I was plating up supper.

Supper is ready

Give these cabbage rolls a try or come up with your own stuffing for them.  Have fun and enjoy.

Uncle T