Cruciferous Pasta Redux
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Many people know that the cruciferous vegetables help fight cancer. The cruciferous vegetables are broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, kale, kohlrabi, collards, and the dreaded Brussels Sprouts. With the possible exception of beets, Brussels Sprouts seem to strike fear into the hearts of many people. I love Brussels Sprouts, so I’ve made it a lifelong goal to find interesting ways to convince my recalcitrant husband and son that these tiny baby cabbages are worthy of inclusion in their diets—especially in a wintertime menu. Here’s my latest concoction, which met with resounding approval from both of my guys.
Author:
Recipe type: Weekend Meals
Cuisine: Pasta
Serves: 6
Ingredients
  • ½ stick unsalted butter
  • 7-8 strips MorningStar Farms Bacon Strips
  • 1 small red onion, minced
  • 1 red bell pepper, chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
  • 1 pound Brussels Sprouts, cut from the stalk, bottoms removed, and sprouts very thinly sliced
  • ½ cup dry white wine
  • ¼– ⅓ cup stock or broth
  • Sea salt and pepper
  • ¾ pound Brie, rind removed and cut into small pieces.
  • Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated
  • 1½–2 tablespoons salt
  • 1 pound fettuccine or taglietelle
Instructions
  1. Melt the unsalted butter over low heat. Turn off the heat and let it stand for about 5 minutes. Skim off the foam on top, and then carefully pour it into another container, leaving behind the milky solids. You now have clarified butter which can cook at a higher heat without burning.
  2. Spray a small skillet with non-stick cooking spray, and cook the veggie bacon strips on both sides until lightly brown. I like to do this while I'm doing the next step, to save time, but pay attention and don't let them burn. Remove the veggie bacon strips to a plate covered by a triple thickness of paper towels. When totally cool, crumble them and set aside. (Please don't substitute another type of veggie bacon strips. I'm not a big fan of Morning Star Farms, but this is the only veggie bacon strip that works in this recipe.)
  3. Put the clarified butter in a large skillet. Sauté the minced red onion for 6-7 minutes until softened. Add the red bell pepper and sauté for 3-4 more minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for another minute. Add the Brussels Sprouts and sauté for a minute, followed by the wine. Cook for 2-3 minutes, and add the lower amount of stock or broth. Cover tightly, turn the heat to very low and cook for about 4-8 minutes, depending on how crisp you like your Brussels Sprouts. I suggest tasting at the 4 minute mark, and only cook them longer if you know that your family likes them very tender. Turn off heat, add the Brie, and give it a stir to incorporate and cover.
  4. Put your pasta on when you cover the Brussels Sprouts mixture so that everything cooks at the same time. Make sure your water is rapidly boiling, and you’ve added salt, right before adding the pasta. Since fettuccine or tagliatelle can stick together, make sure that you give the pasta a good stir for the first minute or two to make sure that all of the strands are loose and separated.
  5. When the pasta is al dente, reserve a cup of the starchy pasta water. Drain the pasta in a colander, and put it back in the very warm pasta pot. Add the Brussels Sprouts/Brie mixture, along with some of the pasta water, a few tablespoons at a time, to loosen the sauce. (I also put some of the pasta water in the skillet where I cooked the veggies to make sure that I haven't left any goodies behind.)
  6. Serve the pasta topped with freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and crumbled bacon strips.
Notes
Copyright © 2014 Nancy Olah
All Rights Reserved
Recipe by Fool a Carnivore at https://foolacarnivore.com/stop-hating-brussels-sprouts/