The comfort food vibes continue with this brussels sprout carbonara.
Up until this year, you may remember that I never ate much pasta because it was no bueno for my stomach. However, after my trip to Italy last year, I learned the secret was to really just eat imported pasta, because the magic contained therein was enough to keep my insides from rotting.
And rot they did.
In reflecting back on my trip, I surprised myself when I narrowed down all the food we ate to my two favorites: 1) a margherita pizza with some sort of fried dough situation that I was never going to attempt to recreate (but I have a non-fried dough one that you can try!) and 2) pasta carbonara.
A pasta dish! I never would have thought.
What is pasta carbonara?
Traditional pasta carbonara is an Italian dish made with eggs, hard cheese, fatty cured pork, and black pepper. That’s it! The richness in this dish comes from cooking the eggs with pasta water in a way that makes the whole thing glossy and creamy without the cream.
I put my own twist on this dish, making it brussels sprouts carbonara simply because I had some brussels sprouts in my fridge that were on their last leg, almost past the point that I wanted to roast them. Instead, I shredded them, sautéed them down and mixed them in with all the above mentioned goodness.
To be honest, it gave off the vibes of another cabbage pasta dish from my motherland, so if you’re into the idea, check out mom’s testa.
I’m sure there are Italian purists out there scoffing at my addition, but you know, this is my place, I make the rules.
What ingredients do I need to make brussels sprout carbonara?
Not that many! I’m counting six main ones:
- fresh brussels sprouts, about 25-30
- dried, imported Italian fettuccine noodles
- 1/2 pound thick-cut applewood smoked bacon (though if you’re going more traditional, go with the pancetta)
- eggs, for all that creaminess
- 2 ounces grated Parmesan or Romano cheese, to help with the creaminess
- ground pepper for sure
- salt, if you need it
(Recipe adapted from Bon Apetit)
Now that’s a twist I can get behind!
Brussels Sprouts Carbonara
Ingredients
- 25-30 fresh brussels sprouts shredded
- 8 ounces applewood smoked bacon chopped
- 8 ounces dried fettuccine noodles
- 3 egg yolks
- 1 egg large
- 2 ounces grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 tsp coarse ground black pepper
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Set a large saucepan filled with water over high heat. Bring to a boil and add the fettuccine noodles to cook to al dente, leaving a bit of a bite to them.8 ounces dried fettuccine noodles
- In a small bowl, beat the egg yolks and white together until well combined. Add the grated cheese and mix completely. Set aside.3 egg yolks, 2 ounces grated Parmesan cheese, 1 egg
- While the noodles cook, in a large saute pan, add the bacon and cook down until crispy. Drain all but 2 TB fat from the pan.8 ounces applewood smoked bacon
- To the bacon, add the shredded brussels sprouts and cook until wilted, about 5 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside. Put the pan back on the stove.25-30 fresh brussels sprouts
- Drain the cooked noodles, reserving approximately 1 cup of pasta water. Add 1/2 cup of pasta water to the pan. Bring to a boil, about 2 minutes. Add the cooked noodles to the pan. Turn off the heat.
- To the bowl of eggs and cheese, add 1/3 cup of the hot pasta water, stirring vigorously to ensure the eggs do not scramble. Pour the egg mixture over the hot pasta. Toss thoroughly to cook the eggs. Add a little extra pasta water if desired to give it as creamy a consistency as you prefer.
- Add the brussels sprout/bacon mixture and toss with the pasta and add the pepper and any salt to taste. Serve immediately.1 tsp coarse ground black pepper, salt