Creamy Cabbage Pasta Recipe with Bacon and Mustard

Simple northern European flavours star in this delicious and quick creamy bacon and cabbage pasta recipe.

Course Main Course

Cuisine European

Keyword bacon and cabbage pasta, cabbage pasta, creamy cabbage pasta, savoy cabbage pasta

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 15

Total Time 20

Servings Servings

Calories 595kcal

Bring a 20cm or 8" pan of well-salted water to a boil (I use 1½-2 teaspoons in a pan this size).
Heat a 30cm or 12" frying pan (not nonstick if possible) over a medium heat, and when it is hot, add the bacon rashers and cook until crispy (10 minutes), flipping over halfway through.
Mix together the soured cream, mustard, thyme and black pepper in a small bowl.
When the water is boiling, add the cabbage leaves and blanch for 2 minutes, then remove and transfer to a bowl of cold water. Do not throw away the water!
Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook for 1 minute less than the instructions on the packet.
Remove the bacon, keeping the fat in the pan; the bacon will crisp up more as it cools a little.
Cut the tough centre vein from the cabbage leaves, then shred them and add it to the bacon fat over a medium heat, and toss for a minute or two.
Remove around 50ml (3 Tbsp) of water from the pasta pan and add it to the cabbage along with the sour cream mix, stir until combined.
By now, the pasta should be ready to drain. Reserve some more of the cooking liquid (around 75ml or ⅓ cup). Make sure you scrape off any bacon bits from the bottom of the pan.
Stir in the pasta, adding as much more pasta cooking water as is needed to form a nice creamy sauce.
Crumble the crispy bacon into the dish (reserving a little for garnish), have a taste and add more salt if required (it should not be), then serve immediately.