Mafaldine Pasta with Caramelized Cabbage and Lemon

This mafaldine pasta features buttery, caramelized cabbage, chili flakes, capers, and lemon. It's an addicting pantry pasta recipe that's savory and oh-so comforting. Best of all, it's easy enough for a last-minute weeknight dinner.

Have you ever tried mafaldine? Also known as mafalda pasta or reginette, mafaldine is a gorgeous ribbon-like dried pasta with curly edges similar to those on a sheet of lasagna.

Mafaldine is long and wide, similar to pappardelle, but with crimped sides; best of all, those ruffled edges are perfect for clinging to hearty sauces! Ever since I first tried this shape, I truly fell in love with it!

What Makes This Recipe Special

Recently, I've been seeing loads of fun ways to dress up cabbage beyond the classic slaw or steamed version, from a "cacio e pepe" riff to a tahini-smothered charred variation.

I love the classic combination of buttery cabbage, and being a pasta girl, I thought, why not make a pasta dish out of it?

• A slew of fragrant aromatics, like anchovies, garlic, red chili flakes, capers, and lemon zest infuse the olive oil and butter.
• Cabbage and onion slowly cook down and tenderize, then caramelize after losing all of their moisture. The resulting texture is soft, sweet, and savory.
• The softened vegetables and aromatics cling to mafaldine because of its ribbony pasta shape yielding a saucy, slurpable texture. It's truly one of my favorite pastas!

For more delicious pasta recipes, try my spicy spaghetti, fettuccine alfredo without heavy cream, or blistered tomato pasta.

A Little History of Mafaldine

Mafaldine is often called reginette, meaning "little queens", because the shape was actually named after Princess Mafalda of Savoy. When researching this pasta, I came across an article detailing the tragic history of the princess during World War II; if you're interested, I highly recommend reading it to learn more.

Traditionally, mafaldine is paired with ingredients like shrimp or mushrooms. I love serving it with my calabrian chili pasta and mushroom ragu recipe; but my new favorite recipe is this mafaldine with spicy caramelized cabbage!

Where to Purchase This Shape

Mafaldine is a unique shape, like that of a long ribbon. I can't guarantee you'll find it in every grocery store, but there are many online shops where you can purchase it!

• Amazon: You can find lots of different brands selling mafaldine on Amazon. I like Anna brand.
• Alma Gourmet: Alma Gourmet is an Italian purveyor of lots of high-quality products.
• Sfoglini: Sfoglini makes lovely artisan pasta and they have a shape called 'reginetti' that is just like mafaldine in texture but with shorter pieces.

If you still can't find this shape, you can substitute it with rigatoni or spaghetti for this recipe.

Key Ingredients

• Butter: Butter is a key component in this dish, as it is a classic pairing with cabbage.
• Chili Flakes: This is a spicy pasta dish, so I call for ¾ teaspoon red pepper flakes. But if you like things milder, feel free to adjust!
• Cabbage: Cabbage is really the star in this recipe. I recommend using white or green cabbage here, as opposed to red varieties. This is a great way to use up a lot of cabbage!
• Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese: I add a bit of parmesan cheese to the sauce right at the end for saltiness and creaminess. You can use pecorino romano in a pinch!

For a full list of ingredients and quantities, refer to the recipe card.

How to Make This Recipe

Step 1: Saute the aromatics: In a large skillet, saute the garlic, chili flakes, anchovy filets, and capers in the butter and oil over medium heat. Once the mixture smells aromatic, and the butter begins to bubble, you can proceed to the next step.

Step 2: Next, add the lemon zest, cabbage, and onion. It may appear like there are a TON of vegetables in the pan; this is expected!

Use tongs to toss the cabbage and onion and coat them with the buttery aromatics.

Step 3: I usually toss continuously for a minute or so, and as you're tossing, the vegetables will immediately begin to wilt and shrink in size.

Saute them over medium-low heat for 15 minutes, or until they've released most of their liquid and you start seeing some browning on the bottom and sides of the pan.

Step 3: Continue sauteing for 10 minutes, frequently scraping any brown bites on the sides or bottom of the pot. Adjust the heat as needed to lightly caramelize (but not burn) the vegetables.

Step 4: As you finish sauteing the vegetables, keep scraping any browned bits on the sides and bottom of the pan.

Step 5: Cook the pasta: While all of that's happening, cook your pasta in a large pot according to package instructions until it's just barely al dente. Make sure to reserve some pasta water for the sauce later!

Step 6: Finish the sauce: Combine pasta with the golden brown vegetables. Add a bit of pasta water at a time to loosen the sauce, and continue tossing the pasta.

Step 7 - Serve! Off the heat, stir in the parmigiano-reggiano cheese, season to taste, and divide amongst serving bowls. Top with fresh herbs, lemon juice (as desired) and more cheese.

P.S. If you're looking for a vegetarian protein, might I suggest serving this with my Italian beans?

Storage and Reheating Instructions

Leftover pasta can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 - 4 days. You can reheat leftover pasta in your dutch oven on the stove over a gentle heat, adding a little water as needed to loosen the sauce.

If you're making this ahead of time, you can absolutely make the sauce a day in advance. Then, just before serving, cook the pasta and toss it in the sauce.

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