Creamy Pasta With Bacon and Red Cabbage Recipe (2024)

In recipes like this, I always fry and drain whole bacon slices, and then crush them into pieces before adding. It's much easier than slicing all the raw bacon into 1/4" strips, and I really don't care if the bacon pieces are irregular.

As a non US resident, could you publish your recipes in metric as well?Would be a great help.

Get a life, cook it as is, enjoy. Sod the calories. Increase the calorie content by washing it down with nice large glass of wine.

Far better than I expected. Used leftover Christmas ham instead of bacon, cut into 1/2-inch dice, cooked the cabbage and onion a bit longer than the recipe calls for -- maybe an additional 4-5 min. on low heat -- added a splash of white wine to deglaze, and used about half the amount of cream called for. Delicious. Will make again.

Another dish that connected with my German roots. I love red cabbage. Very warming and cheering with its bright purple color at the end of a cold, gray, December day at the end of the year. Very economical, simple, and unfussy. I have come to love Colu Henry's recipes, and I always look forward to a new one from her--always unfussy and reliable but nevertheless interesting and never boring or dull.

Man, this was good. I didn't use olive oil (bacon grease was plenty) and I drained the grease by about 3/4ths before adding onions. Additionally I used less than half the amount of heavy cream and it was still rich and creamy. Maybe not a weekly recipe for a household in which one member lacks a gall bladder, but definitely a winner.

Excellent! I made the bacon in the oven and used olive oil to saute the onions and cabbage but still found this very flavorful . I also sauteed the onions and cabbage for longer than recommended and used the extra pasta water for more of a creamy sauce.

I often use a technique with diced smoked tofu and butter cooked very slowly to achieve a chewier texture and to build flavour (keep recipes vegetarian). It worked perfectly here! This was delicious and the best use for all the red cabbage my winter CSA box keeps sending me. I think I'll add some peas and a bit of smoked hot paprika next time.

I made something similar last evening, and it was outstanding. I used what I had at home: Brussels sprouts sauteed with pancetta rather than red cabbage and bacon; and penne rigate rather than a short curvy pasta. I can't wait to try this exact recipe.

This was absolutely stellar, although I more or less reversed the ratios (loads of cabbage, half a box of rotini). I let the onions and cabbage cook down very slowly in the fat, for about two hours, while I attended to other things and the results were stunning.

Yes, a great idea!

Why the culinaryly purient call in this recipe to ‘drain’ the cooked bacon on paper whilst employing ALL the accumulated fat in the pan -& then adding cream .... & cheese! ? & even extra cheese! Let’s be honest-here We’re being called to cook “rich”... & that’s exactly what we’re doing! Anyway I love fat!( every now & then).

Rubbish? Americanized? There is nothing un-Italian about this recipe and yes, cream is NOT so rarely used in Italy. I am offended that you are talking as of an expert. Even if what you say is true, there is nothing not "genuine" about this recipe.

Pancetta would be the perfect choice. I would not recommend any artificial substitutes.

Conversion tables are ubiquitous online

This was really good! Great recipe for cabbage and other basic ingredients I typically have around. Based on reader comments, I added garlic, cooked cabbage and onions loner, added a splash of white wine and had some leftover chick broth so splashed that in too. I was out of fresh herbs but will def add next time as the dish needs it. Held back bacon to add at end and went with part cream, part1/2 n 1/2. Parm is key at the end (and fresh herbs!)! Will make again for sure.

Having been raised in an Eastern European family, there's something about pairing melted cheese and cabbage that seems wrong to me. It tasted good but incongruous nonetheless.

Excellent comfort food for the winter! I put a lot of pepper and salt in it and didn't use much pasta water. I used casarecce because that is what I had and it worked great. Very luxurious!

Changed heavy cream to 1/2 C & added 1/2C of ricotta since I had some left from another recipe. Cooked 8 oz fusilli, and added 1 can of drained cannellini beans to increase protein and fiber. Delicious!!

This was delicious and beautiful. Perfect colors for the beginning of carnival season here in New Orleans. I kept the bacon out till the last minute as others have suggested. Added a tiny splash of white wine and cream. Can’t wait to make it again!

More bacon, don’t add any till the end. More onion. Added basil. Not much cream. Everyone wanted more..

Easy and tasty - recommend doubling the cabbage and the bacon. And ... as always ... include some chopped garlic.

Ratios are off — needs less cream, less pasta, more bacon, more cabbage. Needs acid — next time I will try adding red wine vinegar yo the cabbage as it cooks.

Really delicious! Had green cabbage and leeks, half and half and made those substitutions and it was fantastic

Surprisingly delicious! Definite keeper. Would work ( and arguably tilt more German with pan fried gnocchi.)

Subbed the heavy cream with milk and butter. Also added doubled the amount of cheese. The results were addictive.

improvised with half and half and fresh linguini pasta. it was fantastic! great mix of flavors

This was good the first night, but the leftovers were way better. The flavors had mixed and we put a fried egg on top. Yummy. My husband added smoked paprika on top too.

Excellent

LOVE! Came out nice, savory and creamy with little change to the original. And a simple and quick recipe.