Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

5 from 5 votes

Italian Stuffed Cabbage Rolls made with the most delicious meat filling and baked in the simplest tomato sauce. This cosy comfort food meal is super easy and great for prepping ahead. Serve with freshly grated parmesan and some crusty bread!

Prep Time10

Cook Time35

Total Time45

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Servings: servings

Calories: 292kcal

Author: Emily Wyper

Ingredients

8 savoy cabbage leaves removed from 1 large cabbage
8.5 oz ground veal (250g)
5 oz ground pork (150g)
1 egg free-range
⅓ cup panko crumbs (20g)
⅓ cups parmesan , freshly grated (20g)
2 cloves garlic
¼ cup white wine (60ml)
2 tablespoon tomato paste
1 cup chicken stock (240ml)
Salt and pepper

Instructions

Pre-heat the oven to 190C (375F) and bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
Put the meat, egg, panko crumbs, grated parmesan,1 clove of minced garlic and a pinch of salt and pepper in a large bowl. Using your hands mix everything together until thoroughly incorporated, set aside.
If you haven’t already, peel the largest leaves from the cabbage being careful not to tear them. Blanch them in boiling water for 5 minutes until softened (you’ll probably need to do this in batches or 2 or 3).
Let them drain on kitchen paper then pat them as dry. Once dried, cut the large middle stalk from each leaf so you’re left with two halves (discard the stalk).
Place 1 heaped tablespoon of meat mixture on the widest part of the cabbage leaf then roll it up tucking in the sides then place in a baking dish. Repeat with the rest of the meat mixture and cabbage leaves. Set aside.
To make the sauce, add ½ tablespoon of olive oil to a small saucepan, add 1 clove of finely chopped garlic and saute for 1 minute until fragrant. Add the white wine and simmer to reduce by half.
Add the chicken stock and tomato paste, whisk together then simmer for 5 minutes. Pour over the stuffed cabbage rolls, cover with foil and bake in the oven for 35 minutes.
Remove from the oven, uncover and let sit for 5 minutes before serving. Serve with freshly grated parmesan.

Notes

You can swap the veal for ground beef instead
Use the highest quality chicken stock (preferably homemade or pre-made store-bought sold in tubs). The sauce doesn't simmer for long so a great quality stock will add a ton of flavour.
You can prep the whole dish (without adding the sauce) in advance and store in the fridge until you are ready to bake.
Make sure to bake the stuffed cabbage rolls covered to avoid them burning or drying out.
You can serve this dish simply as it is with some crusty bread or serve it with some creamy polenta or mashed potatoes for a hearty comfort food meal.
Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for a couple of days and reheated in the oven until piping hot. If storing leftovers in the fridge I recommend removing them from the sauce and storing them in separate containers.
Leftovers can also be frozen and defrosted as needed.

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