Pasta Carbonara with Fried Brussels Sprouts

A couple great twists on a classic Italian dish. No, this isn’t a sneaky way to get you to eat sprouts. They are great anyway.

The smoky flavor of pancetta combined with a creamy sauce of cheese, butter, and egg makes this pasta carbonara dish delightful on its own. Adding in the lightly fried Brussels sprouts is just piling on – but in a very delicious way.

SOFTWARE

·         3 T. olive oil

·         16 oz. Brussels sprouts, frozen, thawed, cut in half

·         12 oz. orecchiette pasta

·         4 oz. pancetta, diced

·         1/2 t. black pepper, freshly ground

·         4 T. butter, cut into small cubes

·         1/2 c. Pecorino cheese, shredded or grated

·         3 egg yolks, beaten

METHOD

1.       In a large skillet over medium high heat, heat 2 T. of olive oil and cook the Brussels sprout halves, stirring occasionally, for about 5-6 minutes. Add some Kosher salt at the start. You are looking for a bit of char on the pieces but not enough to burn.

2.       While that is cooking, prepare the orecchiette per the package instructions.

3.       Once the sprouts are done, remove them to a large bowl. Wipe out the skillet and lower the burner temperature to medium.

4.       Place the skillet on the burner and add 1 T. of olive oil and the pancetta together. Cook the meat for 5 minutes or until crisp.

5.       Add the black pepper and stir.

6.       Add the butter pieces, stirring as you go, until all the butter has melted and the sauce begins to bubble.

7.       Add the cooked pasta to the skillet and stir to coat. Once coated, add the pasta and sauce to the bowl with the sprouts and stir again.

8.       Add the cheese and the egg yolks to the bowl, and mix. The heat from the pasta, sprouts, and sauce will cook the yolks as you stir.

9.       Serve on a plate or bowl with more cheese and pepper as desired.

10.   Enjoy.

VARIANTS

Change out the pasta to a longer noodle if you like. Leave out the sprouts for a more traditional pasta carbonara. If you want to use fresh Brussels sprouts, make sure to cook them first before charring. Or you could shave them while they are still raw and crisp them up that way. Just trim them up before cooking that way.