PASTA WITH CARAMELIZED ONIONS, CABBAGE, AND SMOKED HAM

Pasta with Caramelized Onions, Cabbage, and Smoked Ham image

Provided by Carmen Scott

Yield Makes 4 to 6 servings

Number Of Ingredients 9

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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

Steps:

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.