Cabbage Steaks with Creamy Mushroom Sauce

Ingredients

• 1 medium head green cabbage (3 pounds)
• 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
• ½ teaspoon ground pepper, divided, plus more for garnish
• ¼ teaspoon salt plus ⅛ teaspoon, divided
• 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced (about 3 cups)
• 1 large shallot, finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
• ½ cup dry white wine
• 1 cup half-and-half
• ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
• Thinly sliced fresh chives, for garnish (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil. Remove and discard any damaged outer leaves from cabbage; trim off stem. Slice the cabbage vertically into 4 (1-inch-thick) steaks. Trim any excess core that isn’t holding the steaks together. Place the steaks on the prepared baking sheet. (Reserve remaining cabbage for another use.) Brush the tops of the cabbage steaks with 3 tablespoons oil. Sprinkle with 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning and ¼ teaspoon pepper.
2. Roast, rotating the pan from front to back and flipping the cabbage halfway through, until browned and tender, 50 to 55 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle with ¼ teaspoon salt.
3. About 15 minutes before the cabbage is done, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add sliced mushrooms; cook, stirring occasionally, until well browned, about 8 minutes. Add chopped shallot, garlic, 2 teaspoons thyme and the remaining ¼ teaspoon pepper; cook, stirring constantly, until the shallot is translucent, about 1 minute.
4. Add ½ cup wine; cook, scraping up any browned bits on the pan bottom, until slightly reduced, about 1 minute. Stir in 1 cup half-and-half; cook, stirring often, until the sauce thickens slightly and lightly coats the back of a spoon, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in ¼ cup Parmesan and the remaining ⅛ teaspoon salt until the Parmesan melts.
5. Place the cabbage steaks on 4 plates. Spoon the creamy mushroom sauce evenly over the steaks. Garnish with additional black pepper and/or chives, if desired.