Kapusta with Egg Noodles

Remember on August 9^th when I gave you the potato salad recipe from Chef Michael Baruch’s cookbook, The New Polish Cuisine?  Well, here is another great Polish recipe!

This is Kapusta with Egg Noodles and it is great, I mean REALLY delicious!  To be honest, I actually didn’t know what “kapusta” was when I first saw the recipe listed. But, when I turned the cookbook to page 96 and saw the gorgeous photo, I knew immediately that “kapusta” is cabbage.

I like both cabbage and noodles, so I knew this would be good, especially after reading the list of ingredients.  BACON ~ the first ingredient; we all know that bacon is the perfect food!  For Bill and I, this was comfort food all the way.  In fact, that’s what Chef Mike says about it, “Polish comfort food at its best!”

Here’s what else Chef Mike says about it:  “Slow braised cabbage, bacon, onion, and garlic are lightly seasoned, then combined with fresh Kluski noodles. The secret to this dish is to prepare everything at the last minute.”  Give this recipe a try ~ you won’t be disappointed, it’s savory delicious!

Kapusta with Egg Noodles

Ingredients:

1 pound extra wide egg noodles

1 slice hickory smoked bacon, diced

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 teaspoons garlic puree

1 small onion, finely diced

1 medium head green cabbage, cored and diced

½ teaspoon sea salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons chicken stock

2 dashes of Tabasco

Freshly ground black pepper

Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, optional

Preparation:

In a large pot over medium high heat, cook bacon until it renders its fat and turns lightly brown, not crisp.

Pour the bacon into a small strainer set over a bowl to collect the excess fat.

Return the pot to the fire, add olive oil.

When hot, add garlic and onion, cook stir for about 1 minute.

Add cabbage and cook stir for about 3 to 4 minutes until the cabbage starts to wile.

Reduce heat to low, add rest of the seasonings and the bacon.

Cook slowly, covered, for about 20 minutes.

While the cabbage is cooking, bring 2 quarts of lightly salted water to a boil.

Add noodles, cook until firm to the bite.

Drain in a colander.

Add to the noodles to the cabbage.

Gently, using a heavy wooden spoon, stir the noodles into the cabbage mixture to combine.

Using a kitchen tong, divide the kapusta among 4 dinner plates.

Sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper and Parmesan cheese.

Serve and enjoy!

Jedzcie, pijcie i popuszczajcie pasa!  

By the way, there’s still time to enter my $60 Le Creuset, CSN giveaway posted on August 11, 2010!

Be sure to visit my friend Linda's, my kind of cooking, great blog for a chance to win her wonderful cookbook with lots of easy, delicious recipes! 


Check out another great giveaway at Bo's Bowl.  He has fantastic recipes and tells great stories connected with his good Southern cooking!