Here’s a recipe for Farcellets de Col—Catalan-style cabbage rolls, stuffed with a flavorful meat filling and simmered in tomato sauce 🌿🥬
Farcellets de Col (Cabbage Rolls)
Ingredients (serves 4–6)
For the cabbage rolls:
- 1 large cabbage
- 1 lb (450 g) ground pork, beef, or a mix
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ cup cooked rice
- 1 egg
- 2 tbsp chopped parsley
- Salt & pepper, to taste
For the sauce:
- 2 cups tomato purée or crushed tomatoes
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- ½ tsp smoked paprika (optional)
- Salt & pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Prepare cabbage leaves
- Bring a large pot of salted water to boil.
- Core the cabbage and blanch leaves 2–3 minutes until pliable.
- Drain and set aside to cool.
- Make filling
- In a bowl, mix ground meat, onion, garlic, cooked rice, egg, parsley, salt, and pepper.
- Assemble rolls
- Place 2–3 tbsp filling in the center of each cabbage leaf.
- Fold sides over and roll tightly.
- Prepare sauce
- In a pan, heat olive oil. Sauté onion and garlic until soft.
- Add tomato purée, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Simmer 10 minutes.
- Cook cabbage rolls
- Place rolls seam-side down in a pot or deep pan.
- Pour tomato sauce over rolls.
- Cover and simmer 25–30 minutes until meat is cooked and cabbage tender.
- Serve
- Serve hot, spooning extra tomato sauce over the rolls.
- Garnish with fresh parsley if desired.
Tips & Variations
- Rice-free option: Use grated vegetables like carrot or zucchini instead of rice.
- Cheesy twist: Sprinkle grated cheese over rolls before baking.
- Oven method: Place rolls in a baking dish, cover with sauce, and bake 30–35 minutes at 350°F (175°C).
- Make ahead: Assemble rolls and freeze before cooking; cook from frozen by adding extra simmer time.
If you want, I can give you a rich, wine-infused Catalan version or a lighter Mediterranean-style cabbage roll version.
