• Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 small head green cabbage (about 2½ pounds), cored and shredded (10 cups)
• 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• 2 cups warm whole milk
• ¼ cup plus 1 Tablespoon freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese (½ ounce)
• 1 Tablespoon finely grated lemon zest (from 2 lemons)

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Bring 1 inch salted water to a boil in a Dutch oven or large pot. Add cabbage. Cover and steam, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 5 minutes. Drain and let cool slightly. Squeeze out excess water using a kitchen towel.
2. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in flour and cook until bubbling but not browning 1 to 2 minutes. Slowly stir in milk. Cook, stirring, until sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat; add ¼ cup cheese and the lemon zest. Immediately fold cabbage into sauce. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Spoon mixture into a shallow (6-cup) casserole dish. Bake until bubbling, 30 to 35 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Serves 6.