Marcella Hazan's Smothered Cabbage

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Smothered cabbage? Acclaimed Italian chef and cookbook author Marcella Hazan knew what she was doing. Hazan was the master of taking humble ingredients and transforming them into incredible dishes. And this smothered cabbage recipe is a perfect example of her genius. Inexpensive sliced green cabbage is slowly braised in lots of olive oil, along with sautéed onions and garlic and a bit of red wine vinegar until it is tender and silky and something special. So few ingredients and minimal preparation yield spectacular results.

smothered cabbage in a cast iron skillet

Cabbage is usually not on anyone’s top 10 list of vegetables for a variety of reasons. It’s reputation for smelly cooking odors and even worse flatulence is legendary. And the memory of cabbage dishes of our childhood, such as stuffed cabbage, cabbage soup and bland sautéed cabbage do nothing for our confidence in cabbage dishes of the present or future! But this recipe, Marcella Hazan’s Smothered Cabbage - Venetian Style, may be my favorite winter vegetable dish. This slow cooked cabbage, in olive oil with aromatics, is just so silky and delicious. And a showering of Parmesan and a grind of black pepper when serving takes it to next the level.

How to use Marcella Hazan's Smothered Cabbage - Venetian Style

Smothered cabbage - Venetian style is so versatile. Serve it as a side for the crowd-pleasing Marcella Hazan’s Roast Chicken with Lemons or really any meat or poultry dish. Or use it as a bed for simply grilled or roasted fish. It's also the key ingredient for Marcella Hazan's excellent Rice and Smothered Cabbage Soup in her cookbook Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking. (An essential cookbook in any kitchen, in my opinion.) My husband and I enjoy smothered cabbage so much, we often eat it as a "Meatless Monday" vegetarian main course, with a fresh mixed salad on the side. And I promise, once you try it, this will become a staple in your weekly repertoire of dishes.

Ingredients

Olive oil

There is so much olive oil in this smothered cabbage recipe, that I'm tempted to call it a confit. So, use the best extra virgin olive oil you can find. Make sure that the olive oil you're using has a production date on the label. And that date should be as recent as possible. Ideally, choose olive oil harvested and produced in the last 12-18 months. This Oilala 2022/2023 olive oil from Puglia, Italy has a strong green olive flavor with a signature peppery finish.

Other ingredients

green cabbage
yellow onion

garlic
sea salt
pepper

red wine vinegar
Parmesan (optional)

See recipe card for quantities.

Instructions

cabbage thinly sliced on a cutting board

Remove the thick outer leaves of the cabbage. We want thinly sliced cabbage for this recipe, but not tiny bits of cole slaw. I prefer to cut the cabbage by hand. To me, it's quicker and more efficient than using a food processor. Begin by cutting 4 sections of the cabbage around the core. Discard the core and the outer leaves. Slice the cabbage lengthwise, as thinly as you can.

onions and garlic sautéing in olive oil until golden for smothered cabbage

Dice the onion and mince the garlic. Heat the olive oil in a 12 in skillet on medium heat. When the oil is hot, but not smoking, add the onion. Sauté, stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened and turns a golden yellow color, about 7 minutes. Do not allow the onion to caramelize or burn. Add the garlic and continue to cook until the garlic turns a golden color and becomes fragrant, another minute or two.

Add the cabbage and turn with tongs coating the cabbages shreds with the oil and onions. Continue cooking and turning until the cabbage has begun to wilt. Add salt, pepper and vinegar, turn again to mix well. Then lower the heat to low/simmer and cover the pan with a well-fitting lid.

fully cooked smothered cabbage in the skillet

Cook for 90 minutes, turning the cabbage every half hour or so. The cabbage should braise at a gentle simmer and stay moist. You should not need to add any additional water. If things look dry or if the cabbage starts to brown in any way, turn the heat down and add a couple of tablespoons of water. When done, the cabbage will be tender and silky, but not mushy. Serve with additional freshly ground black pepper and grated Parmesan, if you like.

Storage

Marcella Hazan's Smothered Cabbage - Venetian Style stores well. Cover and place in the refrigerator for up to a week or in the freezer up to 6 months.

Top tip

Condensation will form underneath the lid of your skillet as you cook the cabbage. Keep that in mind when lifting the lid off to turn the cabbage and ensure that the liquid goes back into the skillet and not onto your stove! If you do this, you should not need to add any water to this recipe during the cooking process.

FAQ

Can I use red cabbage for this recipe?

Yes! The original Marcella Hazan recipe for Smothered Cabbage, Venetian Style specified the use of green, red or Savoy cabbage. I have made the recipe with all 3 types of cabbage and I prefer the lowly green cabbage. That said, red cabbage cooks up very similarly and the taste difference is negligible. I think my preference is partly due to my bias. When I see cooked red cabbage, I think about German sweet and sour cabbage, or rotkhol. It's also a delicious dish, but has a very different flavor profile.

What are the health benefits of cabbage?

According to the Cleveland Clinic and other trusted sources, cabbage is a powerhouse of nutrition. One cup provides over 85% of your daily vitamin K requirement and 54% of your vitamin C needs along with potassium and fiber. More importantly, the antioxidants in cabbage can help strengthen the immune system, fight inflammation, lower blood pressure and may help prevent certain cancers. The insoluble fiber in cabbage feeds good bacteria in your gut, so it can also help improve digestion and keep you regular.

Pairings

Serve this delicious Smothered Cabbage recipe with:

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