Cabbage Parmesan Recipe

With the enduring popularity of dishes like veal Parmesan, chicken Parmesan, and eggplant Parmesan, it's no wonder that other versions are popping up and getting rave reviews. You can't get much better than the combination of crispy breading, savory tomato sauce, and melty cheese, and it might be no surprise that they all taste delicious (almost) no matter what the base is. In this recipe, I use 1-inch cabbage steaks and employ a 3-step cooking method to give them a buttery soft texture. I roasted the steaks in the oven for the first round of cooking, so they would soften and prepare for the next step, during which they get doused in flour, egg, and breadcrumbs. Then I seared them over medium heat in a skillet or griddle to make the breading adhere and to seal in all of that golden goodness. For the final cooking step, I put them back into the oven when the sauce and cheese are added to finish things off with the beloved melty, cheesy topping.

I love dishes like these that can be made ahead and baked right before serving. It's also a great way to turn a healthy, budget-friendly vegetable that's full of fiber into a crowd-pleasing meal.

To make this recipe, you'll need a medium green cabbage, which should give you 4 steaks. You'll have the ends leftover and can shred them for slaw or chop them up and add to a pot of soup. Pick one that is bright green and as fresh as possible. While you're in the produce aisle, you may want to pick up some fresh basil for topping. Hit up the refrigerated case for eggs, Parmesan cheese, and low-moisture mozzarella. Pick up panko breadcrumbs, which are a little lighter than regular breadcrumbs and will cook up crispier. You'll also need some jarred marinara sauce, or you can make your own. Then check your pantry for olive oil, salt, pepper, all-purpose flour, Italian seasoning, and garlic powder.

Preheat the oven to 425 F.

Set a wire rack inside a rimmed baking sheet.

Brush both sides of the cabbage steaks with 2 tablespoons olive oil and season with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper.

Roast the cabbage on the rack until a paring knife slides into the thickest part near the core with little resistance, 20 to 25 minutes.

Lower the oven to 400 F.

Whisk the flour with ½ teaspoon salt in a shallow dish.

Add the beaten eggs to a second shallow dish.

Mix the panko, ⅓ cup Parmesan, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, remaining salt, and remaining pepper in a third shallow dish.

Coat each steak in flour and shake off the excess.

Dip into the egg and let the excess drip off.

Press firmly into the panko on both sides.

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil on a large griddle or 12-inch cast iron skillet over medium heat.

Sear the cabbage steaks until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes per side, flipping them gently with a wide spatula, and return them to the parchment-lined baking sheet without the rack.

Spoon 1½ cups marinara over the centers of the steaks, leaving a 1-inch border of crust showing.

Top with the mozzarella and remaining Parmesan.

Bake until the cheese is melted, 8 to 10 minutes.

Garnish with the basil and serve with the remaining marinara, warmed, on the side.

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Roasting the cabbage is an important step when making the cabbage Parmesan. The primary reason is that cabbage has a thick core. Because it is so hard and dense, it takes extra time to soften up. If we were to assemble the dish all in one step, the panko and cheese would end up getting burnt before the cabbage would be tender enough to eat. Roasting also dries up some of the moisture that cabbage contains. If the breading was intact before the roasting, the steam from the moisture would keep the breading from sticking to the cabbage. 

Using a wire rack to roast the cabbage allows air to circulate underneath and dry out instead of gathering in a pooling effect under each cabbage steak. Flavor is another reason we roast the cabbage before we bread it. The olive oil and seasonings, along with the high heat, caramelize the cabbage and bring out a sweet and nutty taste, which makes a very satisfying base for the breading, sauce, and cheese.

With the steps outlined in this recipe, you shouldn't end up with soggy breading, but there are some key steps to avoid skipping over. Firstly, don't skip the step of setting up the wire rack layered on top of a sheet pan. If you don't have a wire rack, you can recreate the effect by forming aluminum foil into long rope-like strips to lift the steaks off the surface, so there is circulation under the cabbage as they cook. As a second choice, use a parchment liner and flip the cabbage steaks halfway through cooking. You might want to also dry off the cabbage with a paper towel before breading it.

There are also a few pointers to pay attention to when following the breading steps. Let the steaks cool a bit before breading them, so that the cabbage is done releasing steam before you cover it with egg and crumbs. When dipping the steaks into the flour, make sure to shake off any excess and take a moment to let any extra egg drip off as well. When you are at the panko step, use some muscle and press firmly so the coating holds together for the searing step.

When you add the marinara, don't spread it to the edges of the cabbage steak. This will keep the outer areas crispy and crunchy.

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