Cabbage transformation: Meatball-stuffed delight redefines dinner

Stuffed cabbage is a dish that combines simple ingredients with an extraordinary visual and taste effect. Aromatic meatballs enveloped in delicate cabbage leaves and covered in tomato sauce make for a delightful dinner everyone will enjoy. This idea for preparing cabbage is an unconventional way to reimagine classic ingredients in a fresh and creative way.

If you're looking for inspiration for a dish that is both beautiful and delicious, cabbage stuffed with meatballs is an excellent choice. Discover how easy it is to prepare this original dish, sure to impress both your household and guests.

When we think of combining minced meat with cabbage, stuffed cabbage rolls usually spring to mind. This time, however, we're offering something entirely different – the entire cabbage head becomes an edible dish, concealing juicy meatballs and aromatic tomato sauce. This dish is not only tasty but also impressive – perfect for a family dinner or a special occasion.

Cabbage stuffed with meatballs is a way to blend tradition with modern flair. Its tender leaves encase the meat harmoniously, and the addition of tomato sauce with marjoram imparts a distinctive flavour. As all the ingredients cook together, the dish acquires an exceptional depth of taste that's hard to resist.

Ingredients:

• 280 g ground pork shoulder,
• 1 onion, finely chopped,
• 3 tablespoons chopped parsley,
• 1 tablespoon sweet paprika,
• 1 teaspoon salt,
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper,
• 100 g cooked rice.

Sauce:

• 440 ml broth,
• 70 g tomato purée,
• 4 cloves garlic, pressed,
• 1 tablespoon dried marjoram,
• 1 teaspoon salt.

Other ingredients:

• 1 large head of white cabbage,
• 500 ml ready-made tomato sauce (e.g., based on passata),
• Parsley for decoration.

Method for preparing stuffed cabbage

1. Preparing the cabbage: Slice off the top of the cabbage head and gently hollow out the inside. The easiest way to achieve this is by cutting the leaves with a knife and removing the interior with a spoon. You can save the remaining parts of the cabbage for a salad or another dish.
2. Meatballs: Combine the cooked rice, chopped onion, parsley, sweet paprika, salt, and pepper with the ground meat. Mix the ingredients thoroughly and form small, compact balls.
3. Sauce: In a saucepan, mix the broth with the tomato purée, pressed garlic, marjoram, and salt. Heat on low until the sauce melds together and develops a rich flavour.
4. Stuffing the cabbage: Place the prepared meatballs into the hollowed-out cabbage head, packing them tightly to fill the entire space. Pour the prepared tomato sauce over the cabbage.
5. Baking: Place the stuffed cabbage in an ovenproof dish and cover tightly with aluminum foil. Bake in an oven preheated to 175°C for about 1.5 hours, until the cabbage softens and the meatballs are thoroughly cooked.
6. Serving: After removing from the oven, pour additional tomato sauce over the cabbage, which you can prepare based on passata and your favourite herbs, such as oregano or basil. Garnish with chopped parsley for added freshness and colour.