Brussels Sprouts & Brown Butter Pasta

I was asked to participate in the #PastaFits campaign as a member of the Healthy Aperture Blogger Network.  I was compensated for my time.

this Recipe

I’ve been sneaking bites of this pasta every 3 minutes for the last hour trying to come up with various ways to convince you to make this pasta tonight.

The brown butter sauce? ✔️
The crispy, caramelized brussels sprout bits that get coated in a nutty parmesan coating? ✔️
The fact that it’s A, pasta and B, pasta cooked in brown butter? ✔️ ✔️ ✔️

This is simple, fantastic comfort food that needs to make an appearance on your kitchen table sometime this week. For those of you who would rather jump out of a plane then consider eating brussels sprouts, I’m going to let you in on the magic…

Thinly sliced brussels sprouts > whole brussels sprouts.

Sure, I’m a brussels sprouts lover these days but I didn’t start out that way. As a child who was forced to down whole steamed brussels, I vowed that I would never eat them the moment I entered adulthood. Fast forward 20+ years and I’ve been making them almost weekly.

Thinly sliced brussels sprouts with butter and onion are incredible in their own right but tossed with curly, hot pasta and dreams are made. Just ask BL- he ate two huge servings of this on Sunday, took the rest for lunch yesterday, and asked for it again last night. Thinly sliced brussels are the winning ticket for semi-sprout haters everywhere.

While this recipe is easy enough to make for a weeknight, it would also make a beautiful centerpiece for the holidays. Family gathered around the table, sipping wine and passing a platter of pasta is what my holiday fantasies are all about. It’s what I love most about pasta, dress it up or dress it down, it never disappoints.

If you try this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment, rate it, and tag your Instagram photos with #delishknowledge . I absolutely love seeing your creations. Happy cooking! 

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Brussels Sprouts Cavatappi

• Author: Alex Caspero
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 20 minutes
• Total Time: 30 minutes
• Yield: 2 -4 servings (4 "pasta portions", two "husband size portions" 🙂 1x
• Category: pasta, dinner, healthy, easy, main

Print Recipe

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• Author: Alex Caspero
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 20 minutes
• Total Time: 30 minutes
• Yield: 2 -4 servings (4 "pasta portions", two "husband size portions" 🙂 1x
• Category: pasta, dinner, healthy, easy, main

• Author: Alex Caspero
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 20 minutes
• Total Time: 30 minutes
• Yield: 2 -4 servings (4 "pasta portions", two "husband size portions" 🙂 1x
• Category: pasta, dinner, healthy, easy, main

Scale 1x2x3x

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
• 1/2 medium white onion, thinly sliced
• ~5 cups trimmed and thinly sliced Brussels sprouts
• 1 clove minced garlic
• 1 teaspoons dried thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper (or less/more to taste)
• 8 ounces cavatappi pasta
• 1 clove minced garlic
• 1 large lemon, zest and juice
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts

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Instructions

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
2. Heat 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook until melted and slightly browned, then add in the thinly sliced onion. Cook until onion is slightly caramelized and golden, about 10 minutes. Add in the brussels sprouts, garlic, thyme, salt and pepper and cook for another 5-10 minutes until brussels sprouts are crispy.
3. While the onion and sprouts are cooking, add in the cavatappi and cook until al dente according to package directions. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup pasta water and set aside.
4. Stir in the lemon zest and juice, parmesan cheese, remaining tablespoon of butter and finely chopped walnuts into the brussels sprouts and add the pasta along with a tablespoon or two of the reserved pasta water. Toss to combine. If the pasta sauce is too thick, add another tablespoon or two of pasta water to thin.
5. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve immediately.

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