My friends Cláudia and Gabi, and my friend Inês live on the same street as me. We’re always at each other’s houses, a bit like in sit coms. So yesterday, when the first two decided to embark on some home improvement, Inês and I offered to help. After a couple of hours covering the walls (and ourselves) in paint, it was time to feed the troops.

I cooked at my place, and then crossed the street to Inês’s tidier, dishwasher equipped house with a pan full of pasta in one hand and a plate of garlic bread on the other - it was a bit of a challenge to ring the bell, I can tell you!

This recipe is really quick to make, and serves 4 people:

300g of diced bacon
600g of thinly shredded white cabbage
250g of mascarpone cheese (you can replace it with cream)

Add the bacon to a large pan or wok, and fry it until it’s crispy.
Add the shredded cabbage and toss it with the bacon while it cooks.
When the cabbage wilts down, add the mascarpone cheese (or the cream) and let it melt totally. If you feel the sauce is still too thick, you can add a bit of milk, but be careful not to overcook the cheese, as it will start to separate.

Serve it with the pasta of your choice. I chose green fetuccine because it’s pretty. I have to mention that I adapted this pasta sauce from a recipe my dad usually does. It’s so nice, I thought it deserved centre stage, but as an alternative, you can drop the pasta and serve it as a side dish or entrée.