The great thing about cabbages is that even if they're half-rotten you can still peel (or wipe...) off a few layers of leaves or black sludge and find perfection underneath. Recently my cooking has been focused on rationing out staples until the next time I have money to go on a serious shopping expedition, which is three or so weeks now, and using up any odds and ends taking up space in the freezer and cabinets. I've pulled a lot of weird but amazing recipes out of my ass and made enough room in the kitchen that I suddenly have extra storage space.

The cabbage in question was bought with good intentions (make a batch of sauerkraut every week!) but never used, and since it was intended for another person's project I scanned past it whenever I looked in the fridge for months. Today I was desperately trying to think of something to cook when I remembered that red cabbage and I got a sudden craving for a dish I made several times this past winter. I had almost none of the main ingredients called for in the the recipe, "Cabbage with Noodles and Poppy Seeds" from Winter Harvest Cookbook 1e (green cabbage, yellow onion, apples, fettuccine, poppy seeds, butter), but at a recent library sale I'd acquired The Kylemore Abbey Cookbook, which includes the similar "Christmas Red Cabbage" (red cabbage, red onion, redcurrant jelly, apples, butter), which guided me in making substitutions.The final idea for this variation came from my experience making mujaddara, a rice and lentils dish topped with caramelized onions, which I serve when available with spinach steamed with raisins and sunflower seeds. I've been trying not to think about how much I want mujaddara right now while I'm trying to make three onions last for four people for a week, and this was a compromise.

This meal is a cheap way to fill yourself up and makes 1 T of butter go a long way — the original recipe in the Winter Harvest Cookbook calls for six (!!) tablespoons of butter, but it's still smooth and satisfying with far less than that. It has just the right amount of sweetness and looks gorgeous, especially on dark dishes.

RED CABBAGE & SPAGHETTI with caramelized onions, dried cranberries, poppy seeds, and butter

• 1/2—1 pound spaghetti
• oil as needed
• 1+ onions to taste, thinly sliced into half-moons
• 1/2—1 red cabbage, thinly sliced and rinsed
• handfuls of dried cranberries to taste
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1+ tablespoons butter to taste
• 2+ tablespoons poppy seeds

Heat oil over medium-high heat in large skillet and add onions. Cook until soft, golden brown to black-brown, and caramelized, gradually turning down heat and stirring periodically.

Add still-damp red cabbage, dried cranberries, salt, pepper, and butter. Cover and cook until cabbage has reached desired softness and cranberries have plumped up. Stir periodically and add small amounts of water or fat to prevent burning.

Meanwhile, cook spaghetti al dente. Drain, and stir into skillet with red cabbage mixture. Add poppy seeds, stir, and adjust seasonings to taste. Serve hot or cold.

Variations to try:

• Use a head of roasted garlic in addition to or instead of the caramelized onions.
• Substitute apples, preserves, or other dried fruits as handy. Apples can be cooked along with the cabbage, dried fruits will plump up during steaming, and preserves will simmer into a sauce that coats the pasta.
• Add caraway or other seeds from your pantry for a different vibe.
• This works with equal amounts of pasta and cabbage or with more of either. Play with the proportions.
• Serve with pickled beets, hard cider, and an assortment of aged cheeses, dried fruits, and nuts.

Originally posted on my private Facebook page on 8/8/2016.