Cabbage rolls stuffed with rice and escarole

The cabbage rolls with rice and escarole are a delicious and substantial dish, perfect for a winter dinner. Here is the recipe:

Ingredients

• 8 large cabbage leaves
• 200 g of rice
• 1 head of escarole
• 1 clove of garlic
• 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Vegetable broth as needed
• Grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
• 1 small onion
• (Optional) Breadcrumbs

Preparation

1. To start, clean the cabbage leaves by washing them under running water and removing the hardest part of the central stem.
2. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and blanch the cabbage leaves for about 3 minutes, then drain them and place them on a clean kitchen towel to dry and cool.
3. In the meantime, wash the escarole, roughly chop it and sauté a clove of garlic in a pan with extra virgin olive oil, then add the escarole, salt, and pepper. Cook until the escarole has softened.
4. In a saucepan, cook the rice in plenty of salted water according to the instructions on the package.
5. Drain the rice and mix it with the escarole, stir well to flavor and if you like, you can add grated Parmesan cheese.
6. Take the cabbage leaves and place some of the rice and escarole filling on each leaf, then roll them up and secure them with a toothpick.
7. Finely slice the onion and let it wilt in a pan with a drizzle of oil. Place the cabbage rolls on it, pour vegetable broth until halfway up the rolls, cover with a lid and cook over medium heat for about 20 minutes.
8. (Optional) When almost done, you can sprinkle the rolls with breadcrumbs and let them brown in the oven for a few minutes.

Curiosity

Cabbage rolls are a typical recipe from Eastern Europe, and each country has its own variant. In Italy, cabbage is often used to prepare soups and risottos as well. Being a versatile dish, you can experiment by adding typical Italian ingredients to the filling, such as pancetta, crumbled sausage, or aromatic herbs like basil or rosemary to enhance the flavor.