White cabbage makes fantastic classic coleslaw, but it also cooks beautifully. The slight tangy bitterness that makes it such a brilliant choice for coleslaw mellows out and the underlying sweetness shines through. White cabbage is served hot much more in Germany and Eastern Europe, often appearing in delicious hearty dishes with onion and bacon, mushrooms and pasta or potatoes with maybe a touch of thyme or a sprinkling of caraway seeds: perfect for keeping out the winter chill.

Try this wonderfully savoury pasta based on a traditional Polish favourite: if you have 2 or 3 tablespoons of jellified chicken stock, leftover from roasting a whole chicken or chicken breasts, so much the better, it will add another layer of extra deliciousness.

Homemade egg pasta is used in Poland but a flat regular pasta such as farfalle also works well.

Serves 2-3 but easy to increase quantities

• 150g pasta, such as farfalle
• 1 medium-large onion, diced
• 2 tablespoons oil
• 3-4 rasher streaky bacon, chopped
• 6-7 mushrooms (chestnut mushrooms work well) sliced
• ½ vegetable gel stock pot or similar
• 2-3 tablespoons jellified chicken stock, if available
• Approximately half a white cabbage, outer leaves and tough stalks removed, finely sliced (around 200g prepared weight)
• Leaves stripped from 2-3 small sprigs of thyme
• Freshly ground black pepper

Put the pasta onto boil according to maker’s instructions. Drain and set aside

Meanwhile, cook the onion slowly in oil. After 5 minutes add the bacon and mushrooms.

Once the onions and mushrooms are soft and the bacon is just beginning to turn golden, stir in the stock pot and chicken stock.

Steam the cabbage briefly for 2-3 minutes until just soft.

Add the steamed cabbage, thyme and black pepper to the pan, stir to combine and then stir in the pasta, mixing it all together thoroughly.

Cook for a couple of minutes, stirring frequently and serve immediately on warmed plates.