Jim Dixon wrote about food for WW for more than 20 years, but these days most of his time is spent at his olive oil-focused specialty food business Wellspent Market. Jim’s always loved to eat, and he encourages his customers to cook by sending them recipes every week through his newsletter. We’re happy to have him back creating some special dishes just for WW readers.

I usually describe ‘nduja as spicy pork butter. The fermented sausage contains more pork fat than most Italian salume, Calabrian chiles make up nearly a third of the mix, and it stays soft, so you can spread it on a slice of grilled bread.

A few years ago, we spent a night in the Calabrian beach town of Tropea, just a few kilometers north of the mountain town of Spilinga where ‘nduja originated. It was the off season, and not much was happening, but at a farmer’s stand I bought one still in the traditional casing, a section of the pig’s intestine called the orba. It weighed a few kilos and I hauled it all over Sicily, eating a little every day.

Pronounced en-DOO-yah, it’s also great added to pasta, beans, and almost anything that benefits from a porky, spicy, umami-filled bump, especially vegetables. It’s a quick and easy way to make something simple taste incredible. Cabbage, my favorite vegetable, provides a good example.

I start with a red onion, a nod to Tropea’s famous onions called la regina rossa—the red queen—by the Italians. While it cooks in olive oil, I chop half a green cabbage and toss it in. When the cabbage is tender, I add the ‘nduja, stir it in, and eat. I like to eat it with beans, but it’s good mixed into a shaped pasta like penne, too.

And a bit of kitchen science: The acidic vinegar sets the anthocyanins in the onion so they stay red to match the color of chiles.

Cabbage with ‘Nduja

Makes 4-6 servings.

1 medium red onion, quartered and sliced

1/2 green cabbage, coarsely chopped

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

1/4 cup (about 2 ounces) ‘nduja

Kosher-style sea salt to taste

Cook the onion with a good pinch of salt in the olive oil in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat until it starts to get soft, about 3 minutes. Add the cabbage and cook, stirring occasionally, until the cabbage begins to brown, about 10 minutes. Add the vinegar and ‘nduja, and use a wooden spoon to break it up as it softens in the heat. When the ‘nduja is evenly distributed, taste and add salt if needed.