This is one of those dishes that sounded really good in my head but which I wasn't sure would actually work. It did though (tralah!) and was on the table in about 10 minutes, not counting the time it took for the pasta water to boil.
It did, as the Brits so eloquently put it, look "a bit of a dog's dinner" but it tasted exactly how I wanted it to which is to say, like gyoza. This dish shall be known as Lazy Girl's Gyoza since I got the taste down to a T with no faffing around with stuffing, wrappers, frying and steaming.
1 lb ground pork
4 cups shredded or very finely chopped Napa cabbage
4 portions dried Campanelle or pasta shape of your choice
1 1/2 tsps freshly ground ginger
1 tsp + 1 tsp sesame oil
2 tsps olive oil
1 Tbsp soy sauce
2 tsps sake or white wine
2 tsps rice wine vinegar
Salt to taste
Put a large pot of salted water on to boil for the pasta. While it is heating, get on with the rest of the dish.
Mix the pork, ginger, 1 tsp of the sesame oil, the soy sauce, the sake and some salt together in a bowl. Set aside.
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet. As soon as it is shimmering, swirl the pan to make sure that the bottom is evenly coated with the oil, lower the heat to low/medium-low, and then add the pork mixture. Using a spatula, spread it into an even layer across the bottom of the pan. Cook for 5 minutes without disturbing it to get a crust on the meat.
While the pork is cooking, chop up your cabbage. When the 5 minute cooking time is up, spread the cabbage across the top of your pork and then stir up the pork gently to mix with the cabbage. You should end up with clumps of pork, seared on one side and pink on the other, rather than individual pieces of ground meat. Cook this mixture for 2 or 3 more minutes, stirring often (and gently so as not to break up the clumps too much), until the pork is cooked through and the cabbage is tender. Check for seasoning, salt if needed, remove from heat.
At some point during these steps the pasta water will have come to a boil. Immediately add your pasta and cook for the amount of time indicated on the package, 10 minutes for Campanelle. As soon as the pasta is ready, drain it, put it back in the pan, and then mix in the pork and cabbage mixture and any porky juices that remain in the pan in which you cooked the pork.
Add the vinegar and the remaining sesame oil and stir to combine. Serve at once.
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