Italian Sausage, Cabbage & Angel Hair Pasta

When I was on the 4HB diet a couple years ago, one of my quick and tasty go-to meals was sauteed kielbasa sausage, onions, garlic, brussel sprouts, and brown mustard. It was simple, delicious, and filling. I've been meaning to make the same dish again, but always forget to buy kielbasa when I'm at the store. 

Lucky for me, my boyfriend's mother had a decent amount of sausage leftover from a package that she used to make some crab sauce and gave it to me. I gladly took it off her hands and planned to make it for dinner tonight. I didn't have any brussel sprouts on hand, and I'm pretty sure we just ran out of brown mustard (we need to go shopping this weekend), so I decided to improvise. Brussel sprouts are like little baby cabbages, right? So regular cabbage should be a fine substitute. Onward!

What I didn't realize until I started to cut into the sausage links, was that it was spicy Italian sausage. Now look - I like spice and I like spicy things.... to a point. I need to be able to still taste my food and enjoy it without the chemical burn in my mouth ruining the whole experience. I decided to take my chances and hoped that the crimson-fleshed links wouldn't turn out being too hot to my liking. 

Well it was too hot. I'm pretty sure I have third-degree burns in my mouth right now. 

Anyway, if you like spice and you're a brave soul, then use the spicy Italian sausage. I will be using the sweet Italian sausage next time I make this meal. 

Italian Sausage, Cabbage & Angel Hair Pasta

Italian sausage, sliced (Sweet, Mild, or Hot - whichever you prefer, I had 8 links on hand)

Frozen chopped onion, about 1 cup

Minced garlic, about 2 tablespoons

Cabbage, about half a medium head

Salt

Pepper

A few sprinkles of parsley

A splash of vinegar (just trust me on this, it helps to bring out the natural sweetness of the cabbage)

A few sprinkles of powdered chicken bouillon (you can use chicken broth if you're so inclined)

Angel hair pasta (I used maybe half a pound)

Optional:

Parmesan cheese (but seriously... is cheese really ever optional?)

Slice up the sausage into bite-sized pieces and cook them over medium heat in a non-stick pan until lightly browned. While they cook, chop up your cabbage into thin slices until you have a nice heaping pile of it. When the sausage is browned, add in your garlic, onions, cabbage, salt, pepper, and parsley. Cover the pan and reduce the heat just a little bit and let the veggies sweat it out. Take a peek every now and then and give it a good stir if the cabbage doesn't fuss too much about it. 

Once the veggies are all wilted down and you can stir without it being awkward, add in a splash of vinegar and some bouillon and start cooking your pasta. Keep the sausage and cabbage concoction on a slow simmer so that they get almost caramelized and delicious. Turn off the heat when it looks to your liking. 

When the pasta is done, throw it in a bowl and add some of the cabbage mixture to it to coat. Serve up some pasta in bowls or plates or whatever makes you happiest and add an extra little scoop of sausage and cabbage on top. Sprinkle with some Parmesan cheese and enjoy!

Sausagey, cabbagey goodness!

My mother and I both loved this dish, but we were both making crazy faces and required tissues to get through it. Perhaps your senses are more resilient than ours.