A sweet, soft mix of cabbage and leeks forms the base of this homey one-pot dish. Using vegetable broth instead of water as the liquid in the pot deepens the flavor, which is rounded out with salty, nutty Gruyère cheese and sour cream, and finished with smoked paprika and dill (or another fresh herb). You can use any short pasta here, just keep an eye on it so it doesn’t overcook; it should be just tender without being mushy.
One-Pot Cheesy Orecchiette with Cabbage and Paprika
By Melissa Clark for New York Times Cooking
Ingredients
Yield:4 servings
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, more for serving- 1 large leek, white and light green parts only, thinly sliced (or use 4 scallions)
- Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 garlic cloves, finely grated or minced
- Pinch of red chile flakes, more for serving
- ½ small green cabbage (about 1 pound), sliced (5 cups)
- 1 teaspoon cider vinegar, more to taste
- 1 pound small pasta, such as orecchiette, shells or fusilli
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 1 cup shredded Gruyère (about 3½ ounces) or one of Tulip Tree’s hard cheeses
- ½ cup sour cream, crème fraîche or mascarpone
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika, more to taste
- ¼ cup chopped fresh dill or parsley, more for serving
Preparation
Step 1 – In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium. Add leek and a pinch each of salt and pepper, and cook until tender and very lightly golden at the edges, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and chile flakes, and cook until fragrant, 1 minute longer. Add the cabbage and season with more salt and pepper. Cook until soft and collapsed, about 15 minutes. Stir in the vinegar, then taste and add more salt, pepper and vinegar until it’s nicely seasoned.
Step 2 – Add pasta, broth and ½ teaspoon salt to the pan. Let the liquid come to a boil, then cover the pan and cook, stirring and tossing the pasta once or twice, until it is cooked through but still al dente, 12 to 15 minutes. If the skillet dries out before the pasta is cooked through, add a little water. And if there’s a bit of water left in the pan at the end, fear not, the pasta will absorb it in the next step. Just make sure to take the pan off the heat before the pasta gets too soft.
Step 3 – Remove pan from heat and stir in Gruyère, crème fraîche and smoked paprika, and toss well. Stir in the dill. Season to taste with more salt (if you used salt-free broth, you might need to add more than you’d think) and cider vinegar if needed. Serve topped with more paprika, olive oil and dill if you like.
Zesty with sage and citrus, this cozy soup brings together some of the best parts of a creamy white lasagna: Browned Italian sausage, sautéed mushrooms and a touch of cream all simmer with broken lasagna noodles until tender. A squeeze of lemon at the end brightens everything.
Creamy Lasagna Soup
By Toni Chapman for New York Times Cooking
Ingredients
Yield:4 to 6 servings
- 1 pound Italian sausage (mild or hot), casings removed
- 8 ounces sliced or whole button mushrooms, roughly chopped
- 1 small onion (any kind), diced
- 5 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal), divided
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 6 lasagna noodles, broken into small to medium pieces (see Tip)
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ½ cup grated Parmesan, plus more for serving
- 1 ½ cups baby spinach
- 1 lemon, zested then cut into wedges, for serving
Preparation
Step 1 – Heat a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high. Add the sausage and cook, breaking it into small pieces, until browned and cooked through, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer the sausage to a bowl and set aside, leaving the drippings in the pot.
Step 2 – Add the mushrooms to the pot and cook undisturbed for a few minutes, then continue cooking, stirring and scraping occasionally, until deeply browned, 4 to 5 minutes.
Step 3 – Stir in the onion, garlic and sage. Season with ½ teaspoon salt and the red pepper. Cook until the onion softens and the mixture is fragrant, about 3 minutes.
Step 4 – Pour in the chicken broth and bring to a gentle boil. Stir in the broken lasagna noodles and cook, stirring occasionally, until just tender, 7 to 8 minutes.
Step 5 – Stir in the heavy cream and Parmesan. Return the cooked sausage to the pot and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes to warm through. Reduce the heat to low. Add the spinach and cook just until wilted. Season with the remaining 1 teaspoon salt.
Step 6 – To serve, ladle into bowls. Finish each with a little lemon zest, a couple squeezes of lemon juice and more Parmesan.
Tip: If your lasagna noodles are on the small side, you can use up to 8 noodles if desired.
