Drizzle spaghetti squash in 1 Tbsp of olive oil and season with salt. Roast squash for 45-60 min or until tender and golden. Let cool, then scrape into bowl and shred with a fork. Season with additional salt and pepper.
Prepare the cabbage leaves:
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Blanch 1/3 of the leaves into the boiling water for 2-3 minutes, or until translucent (this cook time may vary for other cabbage varieties). Set the leaves on a clean towel to absorb excess water—8 minutes. Repeat for remaining cabbage.
Cut out the bottom, thickest part of the stem in an inverted “V” shape, 1-2’’ up from the bottom of the leaf (depending on size of the leaf). Repeat for all leaves.
Make the pork mixture:
Heat a large, oven safe skillet or an enameled braising dish over medium-high heat, then add 1 Tbsp olive oil and the pork. Break the pork into small pieces, season with salt, dried sage, fennel seeds, and pepper. Let sit undisturbed until browned, 2-3 minutes. Stir the pork and cook through. Remove from the pan, leaving behind any fat, and add 2 Tbsp olive oil. Once the oil is hot, add the onion, garlic, and salt. Stir to coat, then add the white wine to deglaze the bottom. Cook 15 minutes until translucent.
Remove half of the onion and transfer to a large mixing bowl.
Make the red sauce:
Add the ketchup to the onions and sauté 2 minutes. Add the fish sauce, crushed tomatoes, chicken stock, and a generous pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, stirring semi-frequently, until thickened—22-25 minutes. Taste for salt.
While the tomato sauce reduces, make the filling and stuff the cabbage: Add the pork, 2 heaping cups of spaghetti squash, and Parmesan to the onions and garlic. Mix to combine, and taste for salt and pepper.
Roll the cabbage leaves:
For large leaves, add 1/4 c of filling to the center of the leaf, just above the tip of the inverted “V”. Roll the leaf like a burrito, tucking in the edges as you roll forward. For smaller leaves, use 2-3 Tbsp of filling. Repeat until all leaves are stuffed.
Transfer the rolls to the tomato sauce and top with cheese slices. Increase heat to medium-low and cover. Let sit 5 minutes to melt the cheese, then remove lid and reduce 10-15 minutes more.
Preheat broiler to high and broil the rolls until the cheese browns and bubbles.
Serve warm and enjoy!
Notes
Large cabbage leaves work best. Use one large head or buy 2 smaller ones if there are no big ones. If you have small leaves, you can use 2 smaller leaves to make a roll but you’ll have to line the leaves up side-by-side with them overlapping a bit in the middle.
You can prep the cabbage and the spaghetti squash up to a day in advance.
No tomato paste? Use ketchup instead.
You can swap fish sauce for soy sauce, or to keep this recipe gluten-free, you can omit both.
You’ll probably have some leftover cabbage. Use it to make a crunchy slaw or add it to a hearty soup.