Tagliatelle with Caramelized Red Cabbage & Gorgonzola

Clean and quarter the red cabbage, remove the core, and finely slice or shred the leaves into bite-sized strips. Peel the red onion, halve it, and cut into thin half-rings. Peel and finely chop the garlic cloves. Pluck the leaves from the fresh thyme. Roughly chop the walnut kernels and toast them in a dry pan over medium heat for 2–3 minutes until fragrant, then set aside on a plate.

In a large, deep frying pan, melt the olive oil and butter over medium heat. Add the onion strips and sauté for about 3 minutes until translucent. Add the finely sliced red cabbage and chopped garlic, and sauté for approx. 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the red cabbage collapses and becomes tender. Deglaze with balsamic vinegar, stir in the thyme, and season to taste with a pinch of fine table salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of plenty of water to a boil, salt generously, and cook the tagliatelle according to package instructions until al dente. Before draining, scoop out and set aside approx. 100 ml of the starchy pasta cooking water.