Hungarian Cabbage and Noodles

I've been spending a lot of time adulterating my mom's excellent recipes lately, so I decided to try one straight up tonight.

My grandmother, my mom, and my aunts all love this dish.  I remember hating it as a kid.  I think it's a taste you only acquire as you grow up.

The ingredients couldn't be simpler:

Egg noodles (see below)
Head of cabbage, sliced
1/4 stick of butter
Heaping tablespoon of paprika
Salt and pepper to taste

Normally, I try not to cook with butter.  But, like I said, I decided to stick with the original recipe tonight.  A quarter stick of butter goes over at least eight servings of cabbage and noodles, so it seemed like a small splurge.

The local cabbage (which was gorgeous -- like a fractal!) I sliced into strips and then steamed in a pot with about 1-2 inches of water in it.

When the cabbage was soft, I drained it, and put it in a large bowl.  I stirred in the butter, allowing it to melt, and added the paprika.

While the cabbage was steaming, I made my own egg-white noodles.  They came together in the time it took to boil the water for them.  I used:

2 cups whole-wheat pastry flour

8 egg whites

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

I kneaded the ingredients into dough and then ran through the pasta roller.  Simple, simple, simple.  [Why does anyone use boxed pasta?]

Fresh pasta takes only a few minutes to cook.

When the pasta was done, I drained it and then stirred it together with the cabbage.  I topped it with a small amount of salt, pepper, and some extra paprika.

It tasted just like I remembered from when I was a kid, but better!  I actually like it now!