Marry Me Cabbage with Parmesan Panko Crunch
The famous creamy, sun-dried tomato and garlic sauce gets paired with melt-in-your-mouth roasted cabbage in this impressive, one-pan side dish. We ditched the starchy thickeners to let the sauce reduce naturally in a hot oven, then added a crispy, golden parmesan-panko crown to balance the rich, tender cabbage wedges.
- Total Time1 hour
- Yield6 wedges (serves 6) 1x
Ingredients
Scale
The Cabbage & Sauce
- 1 medium green cabbage (about 2 pounds)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon oil reserved from the sun-dried tomato jar
- 4 large cloves garlic, smashed and roughly chopped
- ⅓ cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and roughly chopped
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 ½ cups low-sodium vegetable broth
- ⅓ cup heavy cream
- 2 ounces full-fat cream cheese, cubed and softened (about ¼ cup)
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ⅓ cup freshly grated vegetarian Parmesan cheese
The Crunchy Crown & Garnish
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ⅓ cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1 tablespoon freshly grated vegetarian Parmesan cheese
- Pinch of flaky sea salt
- ¼ cup fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced
Instructions
- Prep the cabbage: Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Slice the cabbage in half through the root. Cut each half into exactly 3 thick wedges (yielding 6 wedges total), leaving a portion of the core intact on every piece so the wedges don’t fall apart during cooking.
- Toast the panko: Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large (12-inch) oven-safe skillet—preferably cast iron—over medium heat. Add the panko breadcrumbs and toast, stirring constantly, until golden brown and crispy, about 3 minutes. Transfer the toasted panko to a small bowl, toss with 1 tablespoon of vegetarian Parmesan and a pinch of flaky salt, and carefully wipe the skillet clean.
- Sear the wedges: Return the skillet to medium-high heat and add the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Working in batches if necessary, add the cabbage wedges in a single layer. Sear until deeply charred and browned on both sides, about 3 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer the browned wedges to a plate and leave the skillet on the heat.
- Bloom the aromatics: Reduce the heat to medium. Add the 1 tablespoon of reserved sun-dried tomato oil to the empty skillet. Stir in the garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, tomato paste, dried oregano, and red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring constantly, until the garlic is fragrant and the tomato paste deepens to a dark rust color, about 1 to 2 minutes.
- Simmer the sauce: Pour in the vegetable broth, using a wooden spoon or whisk to scrape up all the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Whisk in the heavy cream, softened cream cheese, kosher salt, and black pepper. Let it simmer gently for 2 to 3 minutes, whisking frequently until the cream cheese melts into a smooth sauce. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the ⅓ cup of vegetarian Parmesan cheese.
- Braise: Nestle the seared cabbage wedges back into the skillet, slightly overlapping them if needed to fit. Spoon some of the creamy sauce over each wedge. Transfer the skillet to the preheated oven and bake uncovered for 30 to 35 minutes, flipping the wedges once halfway through, until the cabbage is completely fork-tender and the sauce has reduced and thickened.
- Serve: Remove the cabbage from the oven. Spoon the thickened sauce from the bottom of the pan over the cabbage. Top generously with the toasted panko crunch and fresh basil right before serving.
Notes
- Why it works: Sautéing the tomato paste and sun-dried tomatoes in the skillet before adding the liquids blooms their fat-soluble flavors and cooks off the raw, metallic taste of the canned paste, building a much deeper, richer sauce than simply boiling the aromatics in broth.
- Pan selection: Use a wide, 12-inch cast-iron or heavy-bottomed oven-safe skillet. If your skillet isn’t quite large enough to fit all the wedges for baking, sear them in batches on the stove, make the sauce in the pan, and then transfer everything to a 9×13-inch baking dish to finish in the oven.
Nutrition (per serving — estimates)
Calories: 247 | Total Carbs: 13g (Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 6g) | Fat: 19g (Saturated: 8g) | Protein: 6g
Nutritional values are approximate, based on standard reference data (USDA FoodData Central). Actual values vary by brand and exact measurements. For precision, use a tracker like MyFitnessPal or Cronometer.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Sear and Braise
- Cuisine: American / Italian-Inspired
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 wedge with sauce
- Calories: 247
- Sugar: 6g
- Fat: 19g
- Saturated Fat: 8g
- Carbohydrates: 13g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 6g