Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Pasta with Shaved Brussels Sprouts and Bacon

Pasta with Shaved Brussels Sprouts and Bacon


Well, as I mentioned yesterday, pork has been heavily featured in my "diet" lately. Last week I was cooking up a storm. Partly to have some work lunches and partly to heat myself up in LA's super cold temps. A lot of my posts lately seem to come from The Kitchn. They always seem to know what I want to eat and this was no exception. I had recently picked up some wonderful brussels sprouts at the Hollywood farmers market. Unfortunately for me, I don't own a large food processor or mandoline so the main task was shredding the sprouts with just my knife, but I tried to make it fun by playing dance music and got the task over with in no time. I have only truly enjoyed brussels sprouts by roasting them in the recent future, but I have to say, pork fat and crunchy pine nuts add a nice layer. I would definitely add some balsamic vinegar to this mix for a nice tangy note the next time I make it, but this dish as is with a little sprinkle of Parmesan got a thumbs up from my work colleagues (something which always seems to justify my cooking).


Spaghetti with Shaved Brussels Sprouts and Bacon



Pasta with Shaved Brussels Sprouts and Bacon
(Lightly Adapted from The Kitchn)



Makes about 3 servings

1 pound brussels sprouts, shredded
1 tablespoon olive oil (as needed)
4 pieces of bacon, sliced
2 shallots, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup chicken broth
1/2 pound spaghetti
2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
Salt and pepper

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Season generously with salt.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook until fairly crispy and cooked through. Clear some space in the middle of the pan and add the shallots and garlic. (If you don't have enough room in your pan to create space, you can remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and add it back in when you add the sprouts.) Cook for about 5 minutes, until the shallots are soft.

While the shallots are cooking, add the pasta to the boiling water and cook until al dente.

Add the brussels sprouts and the chicken broth to the large skillet, season with salt and pepper, and toss all of the ingredients together. Cook, tossing occasionally, until the brussels sprouts are tender but not too soft, about 5 minutes.

When the pasta is finished cooking, drain and add it to the skillet. You can add a splash of the pasta water (or more broth) if the mixture seems dry. Add the pine nuts, toss everything together, season to taste, and serve.

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12 comments:

Maria said...

Great way to enjoy brussel sprouts!

Erica said...

I love making pasta dishes without the traditional red sauce! This one looks great (I love brussels in anything). I love that I could easily make a meaty version for Josh and meat free version for me.

vanillasugarblog said...

ha! super cold! yeah.
you know you are the only person I know that can make brussel sprouts so very edible and entertaining.

Simones Kitchen said...

I am still a bit unsure about brussels sprouts. Having hated them as a kid it takes a long time for me to admit that they are not as bad as my mum used to make them...lol... These do looks delicious and I am sure that bacon will have added loads to the flavor!

Diana said...

"pork fat and crunchy pine nuts add a nice layer" -- haha - of course they do!

This sounds great - I bet it would be even better with a little acid/vinegar like you said.

Olga said...

Anything with bacon is good! Looks like such a pretty dish.

know what I think would be good with it? A poached egg!

Unknown said...

i still want to recreate that dish we had at the foodbuzz festival! yum... hope you warm up ;)

Esi said...

Erica, this would definitely be good meat free as well!

Dawn, YES...super cold for LA :)

Olga, a poached egg would be amazing on this!

Shannon, I have been dreaming about those brussels from FB fest. I need to track down all the ingredients.

Chef Fresco said...

Great creation! Looks tasty!

The Active Foodie said...

I love it! This looks delicious, I am totally making this when I get back. I've been wanting to try shaved brussel sprouts for a while and this is the perfect way to have them!

Mary Bergfeld said...

Oh, my. This looks and sounds delicious! Luch Saturday sounds good to me :-).

test it comm said...

I like the sound of using brussels sprouts in a pasta!