“Mommy, can we get some of that?”
I quickly glance up from the bananas so see Doodle pointing towards the fresh Brussels sprouts. I start to say no because I don’t want to deal with pulling them all off the stalk but settle on “sure, why not,” because what mom in her right mind would say no to her kid’s request for Brussels sprouts?!
I finally settle on a bunch of bananas, place them in the shopping trolley behind Pipsqueak and look ahead to see the panicked face of the guy handing out free samples, surrounded by my brood of starving hooligans (who just had dinner.)
Turns out, I was overly optimistic and my kids weren’t asking about the Brussels sprouts. But I got them anyways because we actually like Brussels sprouts. All of us. Including the kids.
You see, the thing about Brussels sprouts (did you know they really are “Brussels,” not brussel?! I didn’t…) is that when they’re cooked right, they’re amazing. They’re tender and sweet and delicious.
My go-to way to cook Brussels sprouts is to cut them in half so the inner leaves are exposed (you can use fresh or frozen) and then saute them with bacon. This way gets a little crispness on the outside of the Brussels sprouts, gets the bacony goodness down inside the leaves and makes them perfectly tender.
And the combination of bacon and Brussels sprouts is the perfect addition to pasta carbonara.
Traditionally made with pancetta, pasta carbonara is often also served with peas so the bacon and Brussels Sprouts work perfectly.
Brussels Sprout and Bacon Pasta Carbonara
Ingredients for Brussels Sprout and Bacon Pasta Carbonara:
- 1/2 pound bacon
- 2 cups Brussels sprouts, halved
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound pasta of choice
- 4 eggs, beaten
- 1 1/2 cups Parmesan cheese
- Salt and Pepper to taste
How to make Brussels Sprout and Bacon Pasta Carbonara:
- Cook pasta per the box directions.
- Heat olive oil in a large frying pan.
- Cut bacon into small slices and cook in the olive oil just until starting to brown.
- Add Brussels sprouts, salt and pepper to frying pan with the bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, to coat Brussels sprouts in bacon grease and crisp the insides of Brussels sprouts.
- Whisk together eggs and Parmesan.
- Drain pasta over a bowl to reserve some of the water and put pasta back into pot but do not place the pot back over the heat.
- Add the egg and Parmesan mixture to the pasta and stir quickly to distribute the sauce and cook the eggs without scrambling them. If sauce is too thick or lumpy, add a little of the reserved pasta water to smooth it out.
- Fold in the bacon and Brussels sprouts and serve!
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