Pork Sausage & Cabbage Skillet Pasta with Lemon-Parsley Finish

Quick, cozy pork pasta using WA-early-spring staples (cabbage, onion) plus a lemony finish to keep it bright. Not a taco/lettuce-cup profile and not pork tenderloin roast-style.

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Ingredients

Kroger® Country Pork Ground Sausage 12 oz (about 3/4 of the 16 oz pack) $3.99
Green Cabbage ~3/4 lb, thin-sliced $0.99/lb
Jumbo Yellow Onions 1 small, thin-sliced $0.99/lb
Garlic (bulb) 3 cloves, minced $0.69
Pompeii® Lemon Juice (or fresh lemon) 1–2 Tbsp (to finish) $2.50 (sale)
Parsley (or Organic Italian Parsley) 2 Tbsp, chopped $1.29 (or $1.99 organic)
Pantry: pasta (spaghetti/penne), olive oil, salt, pepper, optional red pepper flakes 6–7 oz dry pasta
Chateau Ste. Michelle Sauvignon Blanc Washington White Wine 1 × 750 ml $7.99

Instructions

Boil pasta: Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Cook 6–7 oz dry pasta until al dente. Reserve 1 cup pasta water; drain.
Brown sausage: Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium-high. Add 12 oz ground pork sausage and cook 6–8 minutes, breaking up, until browned. If very greasy, spoon off excess fat leaving ~1 Tbsp in the pan.
Build the base: Add sliced onion; cook 2–3 minutes. Add minced garlic; cook 30 seconds. Add thin-sliced cabbage and 1/4 cup water; season with salt/pepper (and red pepper flakes if using). Cover 3 minutes to wilt, then uncover and cook 3–5 minutes until tender and lightly caramelized.
Emulsify: Add drained pasta to the skillet. Add 1/3 cup reserved pasta water and toss 1 minute to create a glossy sauce (add more water as needed).
Finish bright: Turn off heat. Stir in 1–2 Tbsp lemon juice and chopped parsley. Taste and adjust salt/pepper.
Serve: Divide between 2 bowls; add extra black pepper on top.

Cook time: 35 minutes

Estimated cost: $11–16

Health notes: Estimated per serving: ~750–950 calories depending on pasta amount and sausage fat. Add extra cabbage and keep oil minimal to lighten; drain excess fat if needed.

Drink pairing: Acid-friendly reds or crisp whites work well with sausage and cabbage. Great matches: Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc.

Wine picks:

Chateau Ste. Michelle Sauvignon Blanc Washington White Wine $7.99 1 × 750 ml
Erath Pinot Noir Oregon Red Wine $15.99 1 × 750 ml

Why it works: For Pork Sausage & Cabbage Skillet Pasta with a lemon–parsley finish, you want either (1) a bright, high-acid white that can cut sausage fat and echo the citrus, or (2) a lighter, higher-acid Pinot Noir that won’t clash with cabbage’s slight sweetness and will stay nimble with the lemon. Because this is a casual weeknight dish for 2, I’d keep it in the $10–$20 range and stick to 750 ml (one bottle is plenty for two people, with a little left over).

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