Cozy Winter Meals

Pasta with Sausage, Braised Cabbage & Parmesan

Ingredients

• Short pasta of your choice
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, finely sliced
• Kosher salt and cracked black pepper, to taste
• 500 g good-quality pork sausage, casings removed
• 2 garlic cloves, finely grated
• ½ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
• ¼ cup dry white wine
• 1 small Savoy cabbage, core removed, thinly sliced
• 1½ cups whole milk
• ½ cup whipping cream
• ¾–1 cup finely grated Parmesan, plus more for serving
• Chili oil, for finishing

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil.
2. In a wide, heavy pan set over medium heat, melt the butter with the olive oil. Add the onion with a pinch of salt and cook over low heat, stirring often, until completely soft and lightly golden, about 8-10 minutes.
3. Add the sausage meat, breaking it up with a wooden spoon and cook until the fat renders and the meat loses its raw colour but remains tender, not crisp. Stir in the garlic and nutmeg and cook just until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
4. Pour in the white wine, increase the heat slightly, and let it bubble until almost completely reduced. Scrape up any bits from the bottom as it reduces.
5. Add the cabbage in large handfuls, seasoning lightly as you go. Toss to coat it in the fat and allow it to wilt before adding more. Once all the cabbage is in the pan, reduce the heat slightly and cook until it softens and releases most of its moisture.
6. Pour in the milk and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the cabbage is very soft and the liquid reduces into a silky sauce that clings to the meat, about 20–25 minutes. Stir in the cream and simmer for a few minutes more until glossy. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and plenty of cracked black pepper.
7. Cook the pasta until just shy of al dente. Transfer directly to the sauce along with a splash of your pasta water. Add the Parmesan and toss over low heat until the pasta is fully coated. Add more pasta water if needed to loosen.
8. Serve hot with additional Parmesan and a drizzle of chilli oil.

Note: This sauce should be rich but not heavy. If it thickens too much while standing, loosen with a little pasta water rather than more cream.

Brown Butter Date Cake with Spiced Cream

Ingredients for the Cake

• 1 cup hot brewed Earl Grey tea
• 1½ cups pitted dates, chopped
• 6 tbsp unsalted butter
• ¾ cup packed brown sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp ground nutmeg
• ½ tsp ground cardamom
• ¼ tsp ground allspice
• ¼ tsp kosher salt
• 1 cup good quality dark chocolate, chopped

Ingredients for the Spiced Warm Cream

• 1½ cups whipping cream
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
• ¼ tsp ground cardamom
• 2 tbsp mascarpone

Ingredients to Finish

• 1 cup candied pecans, roughly chopped
• Fresh thyme sprigs, for garnish

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F and generously grease a 10-inch bundt pan with baking spray.
2. Bring the Earl Grey tea to a gentle boil if it isn’t already hot, then pour it over the chopped dates in a heatproof bowl. Let sit for 10–15 minutes, until the dates are soft and plump and set aside.
3. Next we’ll brown the butter. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Let it foam and sizzle, swirling the pan occasionally, until the milk solids turn golden brown and the butter smells nutty, about 5-7 minutes. Remove from the heat and immediately pour it into a mixing bowl to cool slightly.
4. In a large bowl, whisk the brown sugar and eggs until the mixture looks lighter and slightly thickened, a few minutes. Whisk in the cooled browned butter and vanilla, followed by the soaked dates and their tea.
5. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, allspice, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and fold gently just until combined. Fold in the chocolate chunks, stopping as soon as the batter comes together but no more flour steaks remain.
6. Pour the batter evenly into the prepared bundt pan and smooth the top. Bake for 45–55 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the thickest part comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs attached.
7. Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then carefully invert onto a wire rack to cool completely.
8. To make the spiced cream, combine the cream, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cardamom in a small saucepan. Heat gently until steaming, whisking occasionally, then remove from the heat and whisk in the mascarpone until smooth and slightly thickened. Keep warm.
9. To serve, place the cake on a platter and drizzle with warm spiced cream and scatter with candied pecans. Serve with extra cream on the side.