Erica De Mane

Salt
Extra-virgin olive oil
1 approximately ½-inch-thick round of pancetta, chopped
1 Vidalia onion, chopped
1 fennel bulb, trimmed and chopped
A small palmful of fennel seeds, ground in a mortar and pestle
1 pound whole wheat penne
1 small Savoy cabbage, thinly sliced
Freshly ground black pepper
A big splash of dry white wine
About ¾ cup homemade chicken broth
A few drops of rice wine vinegar
About 8 small sage leaves, cut into chiffonade
A chunk of pecorino sardo cheese

Set up a pot of pasta cooking water, and bring it to a boil. Add salt.

As the water is coming to a boil, get out a large sauté pan, set it over medium heat, and drizzle in a tablespoon or so of olive oil. Add the pancetta, and let it get crisp. It will give off a fair amount of fat, but that’s good. You want that. Add the onion and the fennel and the fennel seeds, and let them soften for a minute or so.

Drop the penne into the boiling water.

Add the cabbage to the pan, season it with salt and black pepper, and sauté it until it’s softened but not completely broken down into a mush, about 5 minutes or so. Add the splash of white wine, and let it bubble away. Add the chicken broth, and let it simmer for a few minutes. Add a few drops of rice wine vinegar to brighten the sauce, and add about half of the sage, stirring it in.

When the pasta is al dente, drain it, saving a little of the cooking water, and put it into a large serving bowl. Add a big drizzle of fresh olive oil, and give it a toss. Add the cabbage sauce, and toss again, adding a little of the cooking water if you need it to loosen the texture (I didn’t, but you never know). You’ll also want to check the seasoning, adding more black pepper or a little salt if you think the dish could use it. (I feel black pepper is an important spice for this dish, so use good peppercorns, such as Tellicherry or Malabar.) Garnish with the remaining sage. Top each serving with an ample grating of the pecorino sardo.