Roasted Unstuffed Cabbage

So a few weeks ago I saw someone roast green cabbage in beautiful large slices and I was like, why have a never done that???? Seriously such a simple concept but so much visual impact and, of course, it taste delicious as well. On my next grocery run, I was about to pick up green cabbage but then the purple cabbage was calling my name! I mean, if the green cabbage flowers were so beautiful, how much more beautiful would it look with purple, right? Well I was definitely right about that. Just look at that color and contrast of the purple and white in the center! I’m in love. After making the roasted purple cabbage and posting it on Instagram, I realized just how special it was so I had to do what I do best and take it up a notch. When I hear cabbage, I usually think of stuffed cabbage so I made a meat sauce with the flavors that I love in a traditional stuffed cabbage (with a little cinnamon for sweetness because I am addicted to putting cinnamon on meat) then topped those stunning purple cabbage flowers with the meat. Hello, unstuffed cabbage taken to the next level!

How beautiful is that cabbage?!?!?!? And this is such a versatile recipe. You can sprinkle the cabbage with whatever spices you want. Serve on it’s own or with the meat sauce. I think next, I’m going to sprinkle the cabbage with curry powder and make an Indian inspired meat sauce with lamb.

Yeah, meat sauce makes me happy! And seriously, even if you are afraid to add the cinnamon, you must try it! Trust me, the meat won’t taste like cinnamon but it will add tons of flavor and add a bit of a sweet/savory contrast that stuffed cabbage craves.

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Roasted Unstuffed Cabbage

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Ingredients

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Cabbage Flowers

• 1 large purple cabbage
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper

Meat Sauce

• 1 Tbsp oil
• 1 lb. ground beef or veal
• 1 Tbsp tomato paste
• 1 Tbsp paprika
• 1/2 Tbsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp cinnamon (optional)
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 cup tomato sauce
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes

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Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Slice the cabbage into 1-inch-thick rounds and place them on the baking sheet in a single layer. Brush the tops with olive oil and sprinkle with garlic powder, paprika, salt and pepper.
3. Roast until the cabbage is tender and edges are golden, 40 to 45 minutes.
4. While the cabbage is roasting, heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat then add the ground meat and cook until no longer pink in the center, around 5 minutes. Stir the meat occasionally so it cooks evenly and doesn’t burn.
5. Add the tomato paste and spices and stir for 1 minutes to bring out the flavors of the spices.
6. Add the tomato sauce and diced tomatoes, stir to combine then lower the heat to medium-low and simmer for 15-20 minutes, until the sauce is thick.
7. To serve the roasted unstuffed cabbage, place a roasted cabbage flower on each plate and top with a heaping scoop of the meat sauce. Sprinkle with parsley for garnish and serve.