Pasta with Caramelized Onions, Cabbage, and Smoked Ham

• 4 bacon slices
• vegetable oil
• 2 pounds onions, thinly sliced
• 1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds or fennel seeds
• 4 cups thinly sliced green cabbage (about 1/4 small head)
• 1 1/2 cups diced smoked ham (such as Black Forest; about 8 ounces)
• 3/4 pound fusilli or rotini pasta
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup (about) canned beef broth

Cook bacon in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat until bacon is brown and crisp. Transfer bacon to paper towel and drain. Crumble bacon. Measure drippings from skillet; add enough vegetable oil to measure 1/4 cup and return mixture to skillet. Add onions and caraway seeds and sauté until onions are dark brown, about 25 minutes. Add cabbage and ham and sauté until cabbage wilts, about 8 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook pasta in heavy large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite. Drain. Return pasta to same pot.

Add bacon, onion mixture, and cheese to pasta. Toss over medium heat until warmed through, adding broth by 1/4 cupfuls to moisten if dry, about 4 minutes. Season pasta to taste with salt and pepper and serve.

Yeild: 4 servings

Epicurious

Cannellini Bean, Red Onion, and Arugula Salad

• 1 (15-ounce) cans cannellini beans
• 1/4 medium red onion, thinly sliced (about 3 tablespoons)
• 1 bunch arugula, thick stems removed, washed and dried
• 2 T. extra virgin olive oil
• 1 T. cup balsamic vinegar
• Handful washed basil leaves, roughly chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 5 grinds black pepper

Empty the cans of beans into a colander and rinse them briefly under cold water. Drain thoroughly and empty the colander into a large serving bowl. Toss the beans together with the red onion and arugula.

Shake the olive oil, vinegar, chopped basil, salt and pepper in a sealable container until the salt is dissolved. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss well. It's best to make and dress the salad about an hour before you serve it. Let it stand at room temperature, tossing every time you think about it. Just before serving, adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper, to taste.

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Yield: 2 to 3 servings

adapted from Food Network: Good Deal with Dave Lieberman

Red and Yellow Pepper Relish

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
• 1 red bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 1 yellow bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 1/3 cup coarsely chopped pitted Kalamata olives
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 large clove garlic, peeled and chopped
• salt
• pepper

Combine butter and oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add onion and cook, stirring, until softened and golden, about 5 minutes. Add bell peppers and saute, stirring, until just tender, about 3 minutes. Add olives, mustard, and garlic and stir 1 minutes. Remove from heat, taste, and season with salt and pepper. Transfer relish to a bowl and cool. If not using immediately, cover and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature before serving. (Relish can be prepared 2 days ahead.)

Makes 2 cups

from The Big Book of Backyard Cooking

Panzanella

• 3/4 pound day-old crusty peasant-style whole-grain bread, cut into 1-inch cubes (about 6 cups)
• 2 large tomatoes (about 1 pound), trimmed and each cut into 8 wedges
• 3/4 cup sliced unwaxed cucumber
• 1/2 cup sliced red onion
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
• 10 fresh basil leaves, shredded

In a serving bowl stir together the bread, the tomatoes, the cucumber, the onion, the oil, the vinegar, the basil, and salt and pepper to taste until the salad is combined well.

Serves 4 to 6.

Gourmet, August 1993

Grilled Sausage Sandwiches with Caramelized Onion

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 pounds onions, thinly sliced
• 1 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon (packed) dark brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds
• 3 fully cooked smoked sausages (such as white bratwurst or chicken-apple)
• 4 large slices rye or pumpernickel bread or 2 rolls
• 4 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 4 ounces Gruyere or Emmenthal cheese, thinly sliced
• 3 tablespoons butter, room temperature

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and sauté until slightly softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in vinegar, sugar and caraway seeds. Reduce heat to medium-low and sauté until onions are deep brown and very tender, about 20 minutes longer. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be prepared 2 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature. Rewarm over low heat before using.)

Preheat broiler. Brush 11x7-inch metal baking pan with oil. Place sausages in pan. Broil until sausages are brown and crisp, about 6 minutes per side. Transfer sausages to work surface and cut lengthwise in half.

Arrange 3 sausage halves on each of 2 bread slices. Spread 2 teaspoons mustard over sausages on each. Top sausages with caramelized onions, dividing equally. Top with Gruyere or Emmenthal cheese slices, dividing equally. Cover with remaining 2 bread slices. Spread half of butter over upper bread slices.

Heat large nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Carefully invert sandwiches, buttered side down, into skillet. Cover and cook until bottoms are brown, about 5 minutes. Spread remaining butter over upper bread slices. Turn sandwiches, cover and cook until bottoms are brown, about 4 minutes longer.

variation: add fennel with onions

serve with cold beer

2 servings

French Onion Soup

• 1/4 cup unsalted butter
• 2 pounds yellow onions, finely sliced
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 1/2 cups dry red wine or burgundy
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 cups vegetable stock
• Croutons
• Swiss or Gyuyere cheese, grated

1. Melt the butter in a pot over high heat. Add the onions and mix well to coat. Cover and let cook for 15 to 30 minutes.

2. Combine the soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, and red wine, and set aside.

3. When the onions begin to stick to the bottom of the pot, have turned a dark golden brown, and begin to smell sweeter, add the bay leaves and the soy mixture. Scrape the bottom of the pot to deglaze. Mix well. Cover and reduce heat to medium. Cook for 5 more minutes.

4. Add the stock to the onion mixture, mix well, cover, and bring to a simmer.

5. To serve, ladle the soup into ovenproof bowls and cover them with croutons and a nice layer of cheese. Place bowls under the broiler and broil until the cheese forms a nice golden-brown crust.

from S.O.U.P.S.: Seattle's Own Undeniably Perfect Soups
1 hour prep time
8 servings