Carla Lalli Music Just Made Cacio e Pepe Cabbage Chips & We Can't Get Enough
Nathan Congleton/NBCU Photo Bank/Getty Images
We love a veggie chip moment—kale chips are a classic, whether you buy them, bake them or air-fry them, and plenty more veggies turn into quick chips in no time. Cabbage, that trusty vegetable that's perfect in soup, salad and slaws, is chief among the chip-worthy veggies. Plus, there's an added bonus: cabbage is rich in anti-inflammatory compounds and even has filling fiber for a gut-healthy snack.
The best news of all is that Carla Lalli Music just shared a recipe that will put cabbage chips at the top of your to-make list. Her cheesy-crispy Cacio e Pepe Cabbage Chips recipe is pretty simple, with a short ingredient list and an equally short list of steps. These chips are so mouthwatering, they basically sent Lalli Music's Instagram comment section into an instant frenzy, with home cooks chiming in to call the recipe "revolutionary" and "galaxy brain."
For this recipe, you'll need just four ingredients, plus pantry pals extra-virgin olive oil, black pepper and kosher salt. Gather together those staples, plus Pecorino Romano cheese, Parmesan cheese, 1/2 head of a medium green cabbage and 1 clove garlic.
Prepare the cabbage for its chip transformation by removing the tough outer leaves and the core. Pull the leaves off and pile them onto a sheet pan. Toss them with 3 tablespoons oil mixed with grated fresh garlic, being sure to get the oil on all sides of the cabbage. Then season the pieces with lots of freshly cracked black pepper and a generous pinch of salt. Your cabbage chips are finally ready to bake—but you'll want to follow Lalli Music's tip to make sure those chips cook evenly, no matter their size.
Related: 9 Healthy Alternatives to Chips That Are Crunchy and Satisfying
When arranging the cabbage chips on the pan, put the larger pieces from the outer layers around the rim of the pan, where the surface is hotter. Place the smaller pieces from the thin inner leaves in the middle, where the heat is less intense, but still perfect for cooking smaller slices of the veg. Cook the cabbage for about an hour at 325°F, checking on the chips and giving them a little flip every 10 minutes or so.
When your pretty green leaves are smaller and bronzed at the edges, they're ready to come out of the oven. (If some pieces seem ready before others, just grab a pair of tongs and pull the quick-cooking pieces off the pan before you put it back in the oven.) Bump up the baking temperature to 400°F, add all the chips back to the pan and sprinkle them with a combination of grated Pecorino Romano and Parmesan cheeses, about 1/4 cup total. Bake the chips for another four minutes or so, until the cheese gets nice and browned. Give them a final sprinkle of black pepper, if you please, and the chips are officially ready to go.
Related: 29 Healthy, Packable Snacks
Of course, dairy-free folks will want to find a way to adapt the cheesy part of this recipe. Lalli Music recommends subbing in a mix of savory seasonings like nutritional yeast or mushroom powder. Or, you could try a pinch of sugar or some MSG (monosodium glutamate).
The chips will be thin and packed with savory flavor, perfect for snacking on or serving as a side dish with a quick sandwich—pair these chips with recipes like our Green Goddess Sandwich or Caprese Sandwich. For a veggie-packed snack lineup, pair the chips with our Baked Red Cabbage Chips and some Air-Fryer Cauliflower Gnocchi with Marinara Dipping Sauce. These cacio e pepe chips would be pretty tasty with a dunk in that marinara sauce as well!
Related: Is It Healthier to Eat Salty or Sweet Snacks? Here's What a Dietitian Says
If the prospect of such cheesy, crunchy veggie chips has you licking your lips and itching for a hands-on tutorial, then you're definitely going to want to check out Carla Lalli Music's YouTube channel, where she's also posted recipes for everything from cozy soups to infinitely snackable popcorn.
With any luck, you'll find enough Carla-approved recipes to fill your whole menu lineup for the month.
