Fettuccine With Blackcurrants And Slightly Soured Cabbage
I SO LOVE pasta but that might not be that obvious if you’re browsing Culinarty’s recipes. It’s about time I change that and what better way to start than participating in the Presto Pasta Nights round-up hosted by Gay of A Scientist in the Kitchen.
Since this is my concoction I’m also sending it to my Original Recipes Round-up. Want to join the fun? Check out what this round-up is all about.
Ingredients (for 2 servings)
- • ½ small head cabbage
- • 2 dried bay leaves
- • 1-2 tsp finely chopped dry vegetables (mix of carrots, parsley leaves and roots, parsnips, red and white onions, tomatoes and celery root)
- • 1 handful of dill – finely chopped
- • 170 ml sauerkraut juice
- • Freshly ground white pepper – to taste
- • Salt – to taste
- • 1 handful of finely grated Parmesan
- • 4 handfuls of freshly picked blackcurrants
- • 170 g fettuccine
- • 2 Tbsp EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
Directions
Pour the oil in a Pyrex round casserole.
Discard the outer leaves of the cabbage and its inner core. Cut the half into quarters and slice them using a mandolin. Toss the sliced cabbage, bay leaves, dry veggies and dill in the Pyrex. Pour in the sauerkraut juice. Add a sprinkling of white pepper and salt (the salt is optional since the sauerkraut juice brings along an important salt addition). Mix well.
Place a compact cast iron flame-tamer between the burner and the bottom of the Pyrex, cover the casserole and cook for about 20 minutes on low heat or until the cabbage softens without becoming mushy.
Once the cabbage is braised, cook the fettuccine according to package directions and add the juices of the braised cabbage to the boiling water. Drain and toss the pasta in the cabbage caserole. Mix well but gently.
Plate, sprinkle grated Parmesan, some dill springs and top with 2 handfuls of blackcurrants per plate.
Serve immediately.
What I like about this incredibly easy & quick dish is the paring of the sourness you find in the sauerkraut juice with the more fruity and cheery sourness of blackcurrants. These little berries flesh is great as an undercover sauce for the pasta. If you usually like your pasta with more sauce, just add more blackcurrants 
You might be asking yourself: Why didn’t she use sauerkraut in the first place since she obviously wanted to get that tang? Well the answer is I wanted to get a more subtle tang, one that will not overpower nor dominate the tang of blackcurrants but will instead complement it. Adding sauerkraut juice to fresh cabbage was the way to go for a subtle sauerkraut sourness.
Update: Joy of Joy Of Desserts says “Get Your Culiverter! It’s An Award-Winner!”. Thank you Joy for the acknowledgement, I feel honoured to be the first recipient of your special award and so is Culiverter
For those of you who read about Culiverter the first time, it’s the culinary unit converter you can see on my sidebar. It makes life easier for your readers who will no longer need to find a conversion site to convert your recipes in the system they’re accustomed to, instead they can make all conversions on the spot. Check out this post to find out how you can add it to your blog in 2 simple steps: 1. Copy, 2. Paste. Pretty easy, right?
You are so creative! This pasta sounds healthy, a lot of veges fruits and less dairy
10 July 2008 at 20:37Wow, definitely intriguing. Blackcurrants and cabbage? Brave, definitely.
10 July 2008 at 22:31What a lovely recipe and I think it’s the first time I see fruit in pasta.
10 July 2008 at 22:42Looks wonderful…I love it!
10 July 2008 at 22:56Lore, when the read your title, I was thinkin, “is she nuts” but I clicked onward and the ingredients for this dish make it unique but worthy of trying out…it works!
11 July 2008 at 00:46Sounds like a nice match, Lore. I totally get what you mean when you say that sauerkraut is too sour. Even after rinsing it three times, it still has too much tang. Tossing cabbage with the juice sounds much easier.
Never would of thought about the black currants. Very original, so it’s an obvious choice for the roundup.
11 July 2008 at 01:56I would never have thought to put thoses flavours together. How creative! Thanks for sharing the recipe.
11 July 2008 at 02:41I LOVE pasta and cabbage. I usually have it in halushki, but this sounds really interesting–especially the blackcurrants.
11 July 2008 at 04:14What a unique combination of flavors! One that I would like to try.
11 July 2008 at 11:57I must say that this dish is extremely interesting! I am trying to imagine the combination of flavors together. Ok, enough of imagining, I must try it! Hope you are enjoying your summer:)
11 July 2008 at 15:51That looks absolutely delicious! I love your blog…especially your photos. Beautiful!
11 July 2008 at 15:53would you drink a shot of sauerkraut juice on a dare? i don’t think i could do it, but i digress…
11 July 2008 at 16:42this is a very interesting and definitely original dish. pasta rules.
this is such a simple dish & yet so awesome delicious! I like the way you added the soured cabbage as it brings the taste of the dish to another level! wow well done!
11 July 2008 at 18:06[...] is an original recipe from Lore of Culinarty - Fettucine and Blackcurrants and Slight Soured Cabbage. The sourness you find in the sauerkraut juice is paired with the more fruity and cheery sourness [...]
12 July 2008 at 00:42What a wonderful invention! Thanks for sharing with Presto Pasta Nights. I hope to see your creative pasta dishes often.
12 July 2008 at 01:44what a great recipe.
12 July 2008 at 03:50Lore, I have another award for you. It’s the Joy Of Desserts Award which I am giving you for your new Culiverter Widget.
12 July 2008 at 05:21Lore, pasta with sour cabbage sound tasty.
12 July 2008 at 09:06I’m so glad you like the award. Wishing you a great week-end too.
12 July 2008 at 11:02Thanks! What kind of camera do you use?
12 July 2008 at 17:18Congratulation for the award! Absolutely deserve it.
This recipe totally unique and original. I might have a challenge to find dried vegetables and black currant!
12 July 2008 at 17:29What a gorgeous pasta dish. I know I’d love it if I were ever lucky enough to get my hands on some black currants.
12 July 2008 at 20:46I, too, have been thinking that I need to make more pasta dishes, seeing as I have a huge backstock of it! Creative and daring recipe!
12 July 2008 at 22:32Mmmmm, a nice pasta dish. It looks beautiful and totally delicious!
13 July 2008 at 00:47Oh yum…this looks divine! Love the dill!
13 July 2008 at 04:05Thanks for your comment on my red velvet cupcakes!
Yummy looking pasta Lore - I have never thought of using blackcurrents in a savoury dish before.
13 July 2008 at 11:23Looks yummy. There is something in my blog waiting for you.
13 July 2008 at 18:53Dear Lore, just in time!!! I posted tODAY my original recipe to your round up if you want to see in my blog. Many thanksxxxGloria
13 July 2008 at 20:11Thank you Lore for your lovely comments in the post Coconut cake in my blog “Mil postres” (1000 desserts). Your blog is wonderful, the recipes
are very, very good
Joy is a great my friend. She is so lovely, lovely.
Thank you, best and whises
13 July 2008 at 23:45Wow Lore, a very daring pasta recipe!!! Never tried to combine cabbage and fruits with pasta, but I must say your pictures look glorious
14 July 2008 at 17:37Very clever with the sort-of-sauerkraut!
14 July 2008 at 19:39Hi Lore- I am intrigued with the black currents and the cabbage. You are so creative, and I am envious that you can pick them fresh. Lovely, as always.
15 July 2008 at 04:17Awesome idea! I never know what to do with the saurkraut juice and I feel guilty wasting anything.
15 July 2008 at 17:22Van - Yeap, only a little bit of Parmesan
JS - You should give them a try!
Ivy - Thanks
Now I’m thinking if I ever saw fruit in pasta but I can only remember another pasta dish I made which hasn’t been posted yet
Cathy - Great!
Peter - LOL
See? In the end it all makes sense.
Adam - I guess that’s why it’s usually cooked for longer. It’s easier and without such a powerful tang. Don’t get me wrong, I ADORE sauerkraut
but it just wasn’t right for this particular dish.
Dragon - You’re welcome
Stacy - Blackcurrants are just like the cherry on the cake in this dish.
Emiline - Hope you will!
Deb - Nice to hear from you
You’re right, drooling over it will not be as good as actually tasting it!
Katie - Why thank you
Grace - LOL
It wouldn’t really be a dare for me…I drink sauerkraut juice ever since I was a kid. Actually the juice I used for this dish was initially bought for a drink.
Big Boys Oven - Glad you like it
Ruth - Thanks
I’ll try to participate as often as I can as pasta was my first culinary love ever.
Maybelle’s Mom - Thanks!
Joy - You bring such joy with your caring awards. Thank you!
Retno - Glad you like it
Joy - Hope you’re having a great weekend!
Katie - I use my hubby’s Canon Power Shot A510. It’s pretty old, I don’t even think they make it anymore.
Elra - That’s sweet of you, thank you
Erin - Blackcurrants are a must during berry season, you should really try finding some.
Madam Chow - Thanks and pasta rocks
Jenny, Leslie and Cakelaw - Glad you like it
Chriesi - You made my day with the Yummy award! I am honoured
Gloria - Thank you so much for your lovely artichoke pie recipe. Those little flowers on top were so cute
Tartasacher - Welcome and I’m glad you like what you found here! You’re right: Joy rocks
Núria - I wish I could send some over so you can taste it
Lulu and Kim - Thank you
Jeff - You can also try drinking it. It goes really well with dishes that have a lot of sauce, or even with some mayo sandwiches
19 July 2008 at 10:35Lore- This is such an interesting and creative dish with multiple intense flavors that compliment each other at the same time. I love the idea of soured cabbage. Cabbage is one of my favorite foods, and I’ve never seen it incorporated like this. It’s definitely inspiring.
21 July 2008 at 19:05Cookinpanda - Glad you like the concept behind this dish
21 July 2008 at 19:10