Preheat the oven to 350˚F / 175˚C and bring a large pot of water to a boil (large enough to fit the cabbage). Core the cabbage with a pairing knife by making 4 incisions to cut out a pyramid-shaped piece of the thickest part of the core.

While you wait for the water to boil, cook the rice according to package directions.

Add oil to a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes, then stir in the garlic and cook for an additional 2 minutes.

Stir in the tomato paste, carrot, parsley, rice, lentils, Italian seasoning blend, salt, and pepper. Set the rice and lentil mixture aside for now.

To prepare the sauce, add 2 tablespoons of oil to a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook for 5 minutes, stirring throughout, then pour in tomato sauce and red wine vinegar. Add in parsley, sugar, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper, then simmer on low for 15 minutes.

Add the cabbage to the boiling water and cook for 5 minutes, making sure to flip the cabbage halfway through. Remove the cabbage from the boiling water and move to a large bowl filled with ice for 2 minutes. This will halt the cooking process. After 2 minutes, move cabbage to a colander and let it drain for 10 minutes.

Gently pull off 12 leaves and pat each one dry. Remove thickest part of each leaf by cutting a V-shaped portion of the leaf out (see picture in blog post).

Add 2-3 tablespoons of filling to each leaf and roll them up, folding the sides over the filling (like a burrito). (Photo tutorial in blog post.)

Reserve ⅓ cup of sauce and spread the rest of the sauce into the bottom of a 9" x 13" pan. Lay the cabbage rolls seam side down in the pan and pack them together tightly so they don’t unroll while baking. Pour the rest of the sauce over the rolls.

Bake for 50-55 minutes. Let cool slightly before enjoying.