Italian stuffed cabbage rolls filled with a flavorful meat mixture and baked in a simple tomato sauce. This comforting, easy-to-prep dish is perfect for making ahead. Serve with freshly grated Parmesan and crusty bread.
Fagottini di Verza, or Italian stuffed cabbage rolls, is a dish I fell in love with in Florence. This recipe recreates the same comforting flavours: tender Savoy cabbage leaves wrapped around a mix of ground veal and pork, Parmesan, garlic, and breadcrumbs bound with an egg.
The combination of veal and pork gives a delicate, slightly sweet meat flavour with enough fat from the pork to keep the filling moist. The sauce is intentionally simple — garlic, white wine, stock and tomato paste — and only needs a short simmer to marry the flavours.
Prepping the Cabbage Leaves
Use a large Savoy cabbage and remove the biggest leaves (about 8 large leaves, which makes 16 rolls when halved). Snap the leaf from the base of the stalk to remove it intact.
Smaller cabbages yield smaller leaves that are harder to peel without tearing; if yours are small, use two heads. Blanch the leaves in batches in boiling salted water for 3–5 minutes, then drain and pat dry on kitchen paper so they are easy to roll.
Save any leftover cabbage for soups or stews, or chop and freeze if you won’t use it within a few days.
How to Make Italian Stuffed Cabbage Rolls – Step by Step
Preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F) and bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. In a large bowl combine the ground veal, ground pork, egg, panko crumbs, grated Parmesan, one minced garlic clove and a pinch of salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly with your hands until evenly combined.
If you haven’t already, peel the largest leaves from the cabbage and blanch them in boiling water for about 5 minutes until softened. You may need to do this in two or three batches depending on pot size. Drain the leaves and pat them dry with kitchen paper. Trim out the thick middle stalk from each leaf and discard it, leaving two workable halves.
Place a heaped tablespoon of the meat mixture on the widest part of each cabbage half, fold in the sides, and roll up snugly. Arrange the rolls seam-side down in a baking dish and set aside.
For the sauce, warm ½ tablespoon of olive oil in a small saucepan. Add one finely chopped garlic clove and sauté for about a minute until fragrant. Pour in the white wine and reduce by half. Whisk in the chicken stock and tomato paste, bring to a gentle simmer for 5 minutes, then pour over the stuffed cabbage rolls.
Cover the baking dish tightly with foil and bake for 35 minutes. Remove from the oven, uncover, and let rest for 5 minutes before serving. Finish with a generous grating of fresh Parmesan.
Top Tips for Making Stuffed Cabbage Rolls & Serving Suggestions
- Substitute ground beef for veal if preferred.
- Use the best quality chicken stock you can (homemade or a high-quality store-bought stock) since the sauce only simmers briefly.
- You can assemble the rolls in advance (without the sauce), refrigerate, and bake when ready.
- Keep the rolls covered while baking to prevent them from drying out.
- Serve with crusty bread, creamy polenta or mashed potatoes for a hearty meal.
- Store leftovers in the fridge for a few days and reheat in the oven until piping hot; for best texture, keep rolls and sauce in separate containers.
- These rolls freeze well; defrost completely before reheating.
More Delicious Italian Recipes You Might Like;
- Butternut Squash Risotto With Thyme
- Eggplant Lasagna with Prosciutto and Mozzarella
- Juicy Italian Meatballs in a Rich Tomato Sauce (Polpette)
- Gnocchi With a Brown Butter Sage Sauce
If you make these Italian stuffed cabbage rolls or try any other recipe from the site, please leave a comment to let me know how it turned out—I love hearing from readers!
Step By Step Photos Above
Most recipes include step-by-step photos and helpful tips to make the dish successfully.
Stuffed Cabbage Rolls
By Emily
Ingredients
- 8 savoy cabbage leaves, removed from 1 large cabbage
- 8.5 oz (250g) ground veal
- 5 oz (150g) ground pork
- 1 egg, free-range
- ⅓ cup panko crumbs (20g)
- ⅓ cup freshly grated Parmesan (20g)
- 2 cloves garlic
- ¼ cup white wine (60ml)
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 cup chicken stock (240ml)
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F) and bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
- Combine the meats, egg, panko crumbs, grated Parmesan, 1 minced garlic clove and a pinch of salt and pepper in a large bowl. Mix well by hand and set aside.
- Peel the largest leaves from the cabbage and blanch them in boiling water for 5 minutes until softened, working in batches if necessary.
- Drain and pat the leaves dry. Trim out the thick middle stalk from each leaf and discard it, leaving two halves.
- Place a heaped tablespoon of the meat mixture on the widest part of each cabbage half, fold in the sides and roll up. Place rolls seam-side down in a baking dish.
- For the sauce, heat ½ tbsp olive oil in a small saucepan, add 1 finely chopped garlic clove and sauté for 1 minute. Add the white wine and reduce by half.
- Whisk in the chicken stock and tomato paste and simmer for 5 minutes. Pour the sauce over the rolls, cover with foil and bake for 35 minutes.
- Remove from the oven, uncover and let rest for 5 minutes. Serve with freshly grated Parmesan.
Notes
- Veal can be swapped for ground beef.
- Use high-quality chicken stock for the best flavour.
- You can assemble the rolls ahead of time without the sauce and refrigerate until ready to bake.
- Keep the dish covered while baking to prevent drying out.
- Serve with crusty bread, creamy polenta or mashed potatoes.
- Store leftovers in the fridge for a couple of days and reheat in the oven until hot. Consider storing rolls and sauce separately for best texture.
- These rolls freeze well and can be defrosted and reheated when needed.
Helpful Info for All Recipes
- I typically use extra virgin olive oil unless noted otherwise.
- When using canned or jarred tomatoes, choose quality brands for better flavour.
- Vegetable sizes are listed as medium unless stated otherwise.
- All recipes are tested using a fan (convection) oven.
Nutrition
Carbohydrates: 10g |
Protein: 25g |
Fat: 15g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximation.
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