½medium cabbage, (12-13 oz) sliced thinly (ideally use a mandolin)
1garlic clove, crushed
1cuporzo, (whole grain or regular both work)
½cup (1.5 ounces)finely shredded fresh Parmesan, (plus a little extra for topping as you serve)
1teaspoondiamond kosher salt (if using any other salt, use half the amount), (or to taste)
½teaspoonfreshly cracked black pepper
~2 cups water
Instructions
Heat a 3-4 quart cast iron pan over low heat. Add oil and butter. Add in onion and saute, stirring occasionally, until just beginning to brown.
Add cabbage (the cabbage will look like a lot and stack, don’t worry) and cover the pot for one minute to help the cabbage wilt and reduce in size. Remove the cover and saute, stirring occasionally, until brown and caramelized, about 10-15 minutes. Season with salt at this point. If you notice the cabbage is sticking, add in a bit more oil.
Add in garlic and orzo. Stir to coat the orzo in the residual oil/moisture on the cabbage.
Begin to incrementally add in a total of about 2 to 2 1/2 cups of water over the next 10-15 minutes (the exact amount of water depends on both the moisture content of the cabbage and the type of orzo). Start with ½ cup increments and then slowly reduce the amount of water being added- about a few tablespoons at a time toward the end. After adding in the increment of water, stir occasionally and let cook until most of the water has been absorbed. Repeat until a total of 2 cups of water has been added. *The whole process takes about 15 minutes. Taste orzo to to check that it is fully cooked. If it is not fully cooked it will be slightly crunchy. Continue to add more water in small increments until fully cooked.
Once orzo is cooked, stir in parmesan and pepper. Season with more salt as needed. Serve immediately.