Agrodolce Cabbage with Chili Delicata Squash (2024)

This Agrodolce Cabbage with Chili Delicata Squash is the perfect mixture of charred, sweet, acidic and spicy. Consider it my welcome letter to fall – combining all of my favorite cozy vegetables in a way that really makes them sing. This is a vegetable-forward recipe, meaning it can be served as a side dish at a dinner party, as a component for a weeknight meal or as a full meal on its own! You know me, if I just add a protein to something, I can call it dinner.

But I don’t want to take away from how truly special this recipe is on its own. It utilizes agrodolce, which is a sweet, vinegary Italian condiment that quite literally translates to “sweet sour.” In this recipe, hearty cabbage is charred and soaks up all the sweet and sour goodness, while sweet delicata squash is there to naturally add spice.

This recipe is easy, it’s comforting, and it’s perfect for the cold weather season. I hope you’ll love it as much as I do, and then be hooked on agrodolce.

What is agrodolce?

Agrodolce is a traditional Italian condiment or sauce, its name comes from “agro” meaning “sour” and “dolce” meaning “sweet.” The sauce quite literally translates to its flavor profile (sweet and sour) and can be made in a variety of ways. It is usually made by reducing sweet elements and then adding sour elements, usually sugar or honey followed by vinegar. Additions and flavors are typically added, like vegetables, herbs, fruit, etc.

You can find agrodolce used on many things – from vegetables (as seen in this recipe) and pasta, to on its own with a spoon. Once you make your first batch of agrodolce, you’ll being to fully understand its magic.

Ingredients you’ll need for this agrodolce cabbage

What I do love about this recipe is it’s low on fussy ingredients but high on flavor. Here is everything you’ll need for this sage agrodolce cabbage:

• 1/2smallred cabbage
• 1largedelicata squash
• 1/2smallred onion
• 1tablespoonCalabrian chili oil
• 4largesage leaves
• 1/4cuphoney
• 2tablespoonswater
• 3tablespoonsred wine vinegar
• Olive oil as needed
• Salt & pepper to taste

For toppings:

• 2tablespoonstoasted pine nuts
• 1tablespoonhemp seeds
• Additional Calabrian chili oil as desired

Tips on how to prepare the vegetables

The vegetables in this recipe require a good chef’s knife and a bit of patience. I wanted to make this recipe achievable on one pan, so all the vegetables have to take turns.

Start by cutting the cabbage into thick 1″ slices, keeping the bottom intact so it doesn’t fall apart. Then cut the delicata into half-moons. Doing this first will make the cooking process a breeze.

I’ll have full info in the recipe box below, but what you are doing is essentially searing and charring both vegetables for about 3-4 minutes on each side. It might feel like some time, but the charr flavor and dark caramelization is completely worth it. Especially for the agrodolce cabbage.

How to make the sage agrodolce sauce

After everything, the agrodolce sauce is relatively quick to make! Just wipe out the pan and add another drizzle of olive oil. Put the pan on medium heat and add in the sage leaves. Let them sizzle for 1 minute to crisp up.

Then you’ll whisk together the honey and water and add this to the pan. Season with salt and let the honey thicken for about 1 minute. Then add in the vinegar. Stir occasionally and let the mixture reduce until it is slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Remove the sage leaves and pour this over the red onion. Stir to combine to create your agrodolce!

How to bring this recipe together

Once everything is ready, assembly is easy. Chop up the cabbage into large pieces, and remove any tough chunks from the center. Toss this in with the agrodolce and mix to coat.

To plate, add the squash to the bottom of a bowl and pile high with the cabbage. Sprinkle pine nuts, hemp seeds and chili oil on top to finish!

Looking for similar recipes?

Here are some of my favorite vegetable-forward recipes from the site. They’re perfect for fall, or anytime, really.

And that’s everything for this Agrodolce Cabbage with Chili Delicata Squash!

If you make it, please tag me onPinterestorInstagramso I can see! It’s my favorite thing to scroll through stories and see what you all are making.

And of course feel free to leave any questions, comments or reviews! This is the best place to reach me, and I’d love to hear from you <3