New Recipes!

We now return to your regularly scheduled Dinner Blog...

With the rain outside and having the apartment to myself tonight, I had a great opportunity to cook. Finally! I made my own version of three different recipes, all centered around my winter obsession brussels sprouts. The recipe I took this method from is Pasta with Shaved Brussels Sprouts and Pancetta. I had never thought of pairing this vegetable with pasta, but it looked delicious and colorful.

I made some simple tweaks to this recipe to make it my own, based on two other brussels sprouts recipe that I love. The first was to add a handful of raisins, inspired by Barefoot Contessa's Brussels Sprouts Lardons. The second was to splash the entire dish with balsamic vinegar at the way end, then letting it cook down a bit, the idea for which came from Mark Bittman's Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Figs. Finally, I used less pasta than the original recipe asked for, so that there was about an even amount of shaved sprouts as there was pasta. There is no need to weigh this dish down with extra starch.

I absolutely loved the result. The sprouts were tender, the pancetta was crispy, and the raisins and vinegar added a sweetness to balance the saltiness. It was hearty and filling. Next time I would up the amount of garlic and use golden raisins if I happened to have them around. I think they get plumper when you cook them in some liquid. Here's the real recipe...


Shaved Brussels Sprouts with Pancetta and Pasta

Serves 2.

2 tbsp. olive oil
4 oz. diced pancetta
1/2 yellow onion or 2 shallots, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 lb. angel hair pasta
1/2 lb. brussels sprouts, sliced thin
1/3 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup golden raisins
3 splashes balsamic vinegar

1. Boil water for pasta in a large pot.

2. Heat olive oil is a large skillet. Add pancetta and saute until starting to get crispy, about 4 minutes. Add onion or shallot and garlic, and saute until onions begin to brown. Add brussels sprouts, raisins, and chicken stock, and salt and pepper to taste. Turn heat to low and cook until stock is reduced.

3. Cook pasta until al dente. Add pasta to brussels sprouts mixture and balsamic vinegar, toss. Cook together on low for 2 minutes. Serve hot.