Cavatappi with Browned Brussels Sprouts and Buttery Breadcrumbs
Photo: Johnny Autry; Styling: Cindy Barr
Cut the sprouts lengthwise to keep their shape, about four slices per sprout. They'll be thin enough to get a deep caramelized sear quickly but still keep a good crunch.
How to Make It
Step 1
Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain and transfer to a large bowl; keep warm.
Step 2
Melt butter in a small skillet over medium heat; swirl to coat. Add panko to pan; cook 3 minutes or until browned, stirring frequently.
Step 3
Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add Brussels sprouts to pan; cook 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add onion and garlic; cook 3 minutes or until onion is tender and the Brussels sprouts are lightly browned. Add broth and next 5 ingredients (through pepper). Cover and cook 2 minutes or until Brussels sprouts are crisp-tender. Add Brussels sprouts mixture to pasta; toss well. Sprinkle with cheese, pine nuts, and panko. Serve immediately.
Step 4
Wine Match: A yeasty sparkling wine like the Lucien Albrecht Cremant d'Alsace Brut ($20) is a refreshing foil for the earthiness of the onions and sprouts and the nutty, salty cheese in this pasta dish. --Gretchen Roberts
Chef's Notes
MyRecipes is working with Let's Move!, the Partnership for a Healthier America, and USDA's MyPlate to give anyone looking for healthier options access to a trove of recipes that will help them create healthy, tasty plates. For more information about creating a healthy plate, visit www.choosemyplate.gov.
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beglisc's Review
This was really good--a very worthy weeknight supper (Meatless Monday), and it made us feel healthy after the madness that is the holidays. My husband did comment that the pasta would be much better served with a gorgonzola cream sauce, but that's to be expected :)
I only made two small changes: 1) I had one sad spicy Italian sausage link sitting in the fridge, and I thought I should use it, so I chopped it up and added it here. It was a great addition. I know it's then no longer "meatless Monday", but the added spice was welcome. Bacon, pancetta, etc. would also be fabulous. 2) My grocery store only had Cavatappi for $6.99/pound (!), so I subbed orechiette. Otherwise, I followed the recipe exactly. It's a very light sauce, and the focus of the dish is on the various textures, so don't skip the cheese, the breadcrumbs, etc. They're important. Next time, I'd be more generous with the pine nuts, or I might use walnuts.
MaryD1054's Review
N/A
itravel's Review
Excellent just as written
leaavon's Review
We love Brussel sprouts and the
Donnamaz's Review
N/A
jwinkelman's Review
Third time making it...that's how much we enjoy it. I always seem to buy more than 12 oz of Brussels sprouts, so I double all the ingredients except the pasta. I prefer more veggies to pasta ratio in general, and when made this way it makes more than 4 servings. I also grate the Romano instead of shaving it. I think it distributes the cheesiness better. Definitely take the time to make the buttery panko crumbs. Keeper for us.
Twosquared's Review
This was yum!!! I made the following adjustments. I cooked the onion first a good 5-8 minutes to let it carmelize and added red pepper flakes approx 1/4 - 1/2 tsp. used italian seasoned panko (cause it was what I had) and my vegetarian daughter said add it to the rotation mom, at least twice a month. She wants me to try walnuts next time instead of pine nuts and we all agreed that even though we love the breadcrumbs next time will leave out just to make it more figure friendly. Also can see as one person posted grilling up a couple of chicken sausage and cutting into to pieces to serve with this dish.
Maidakoller's Review
This was a good pasta dish. We made the brussel sprouts in the oven at 425 for 20 minutes drizzled with olive oil, kosher salt and pepper. We didn't add the brussel sprouts until the very end to retain their crunchy exterior. We used a vegetable farfalle which added color and was good. It's a good, fast pasta dinner loaded with veggies.
MoniqueR83's Review
The photo alone was enough to get me to make this recipe. That, and I ready had most of the ingredients on hand. I made some changes to the menu to allow flexibility with what I had on hand and it was really an outstanding dish.
1. I used salted butter and italian bread crumbs for more seasoning and flavor.
2. I used chicken broth instead of vegetable broth
3. I omitted the Lemon rind, lemon juice and fresh thyme. And I also omitted the pine nuts.
4. I subbed parmesan cheese for pecorino romano.
This was delicious! I really liked it and I let the brussels char a little bit while pan frying for some carmelization action. The seasoned breadcrumbs played well as they coated the pasta and the brussel sprouts.
It was garlicky and nutty.
Loved.
Delicious!