Cabbage rolls
I know we typically share traditional, old world Italian recipes on the blog however, today, we’re changing it up. For most of her adult life, Nonnina has been know to push the boundary of “traditional Italian food” in our family. Her health conscious attitude and mind set has really shaped the way she has approached cooking for not only herself, but everyone who has shared a meal in her home. Over the last few years, Nonnina has gone on a journey of discovery. She has made it her mission to not only look good on the outside, but feel good on the inside. This has allowed her to really begin thinking outside the box in the kitchen and has pushed her to transform regular recipes into healthier versions, utilizing ingredients that are tasty while also making you feel good!
This recipe is one that Nonnina has been developing for a few years now, she has taken the concept of a “Stuffed Pasta” like a cannelloni and replaced the shell with a cabbage leaf in an effort to incorporate more greens into her diet. Growing up as a first generation Italian, many meals revolved around a dish of pasta; this meal is a way for Nonnina and her family to enjoy that “Sunday Sugo” feel with a healthier spin. Filled with loads of veggies, meat and whole grains - this recipe is sure to keep everyone in your family satisfied.
Ingredients:
1 shallot
1 red pepper
2 stalks of celery
1 carrot
2 cloves of garlic
1/3 cup of fresh parsley
1 head of green parsley
600 g of any ground meat or meat combination. Beef, chicken, pork, veal etc.
For even more flavor add 1 cup of pancetta (optional)
3 cups fresh grated Parmesan
1-28 oz can of whole peeled tomatoes
2 cups of brown rice (you can use whatever rice you want even quinoa)
2 cups of chicken broth (you can use vegetable broth if you wish)
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375° convection roast.
Rinse rice and put in a pot with water and 1 tsp of salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until rice is al dente about 20 minutes.
Core as much of the centre core out of the cabbage as you can using a knife, this allows for the water to better penetrate the cabbage so the leaves come apart more easily.
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and when water comes to a boil, drop in the head of cabbage and let cook until the leaves start pulling apart. You may need to help it along using a wooden spoon. This will take about 5-8 minutes.
As the leaves start pulling away drop the leaves in cold water. You don’t want them to overcook. When done let them drain and cool.
To finish prepping the cabbage, you must trim away some of the back vein so it’s not too thick and easier to roll.
Chop all vegetable ingredients (celery, parsley, pepper, shallots, garlic and carrots). If you are using pancetta make sure it’s chopped up as well.
Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a pan and sauté the onions until translucent then add garlic, pancetta and sauté for a few minutes until some of the fat is rendered off.
Add the remaining vegetables and sauté for another couple of minutes.
Finally add the meat. Don’t forget to salt the mixture thoroughly.
Nonninas Tip - use Herbamare which is a mixture of salt and herbs, it’s tasty and better for you!
Add rice to the filling mixture and stir to combine all ingredients. Turn off heat and let cool.
Once the filling has cooled, add 2 cups of Parmesan cheese - the remainder of the cheese will be used later.
Nonninas Tip - if it seems too dry add a little bit of broth to moisten it up
Prep the sauce that will cover the cabbage rolls before they go in the oven. You can use store bought tomatoe sauce, or make your own!
To make your own tomatoe sauce, pour tomatoes in a bowl and add chicken broth. Crush with a hand blender. Add salt (Herbamare), 1/4 cup olive oil, 1 diced shallot, 2 tablespoons of parsley and half a cup of chopped celery. If you’re using store bought, you can skip to the next step.
Now it’s time to put it all together. Take a cabbage leaf put 2-3 tablespoons of filling (depending on the size of the cabbage leaf) then roll once, fold both ends inward and roll again to complete. Repeat until all leaves have been filled.
Once completed, spray a glass lasagna pan with Pam and add some sauce to the bottom of the dish. Fill the dish with cabbage rolls keeping the seam side down. Cover with more sauce and sprinkle with remaining Parmesan.
Cover with parchment paper and bake in the oven for about an hour.
Buon Apetito!
With Love From, Nonnina!
