Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Nuts + Cacio E Pepe

Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Nuts is a great dish when the vegetable is in season here in the America in the winter. We flavored this vegetable dish with nuts and crisp bacon bits. A side Cacio E Pepe made with pasta fettuccini was prepared with sharp, aged cheddar (thanks to Kerrygold USA's gifts) and lots of freshly ground black pepper for a fantastic zing. The Cacio e Pepe pasta dish was inspired by Bon Appetit.com. The Brussels sprouts meal is an AsianInAmericamag.com recipe cooked by my sons Timothy and Constante Quirino. Serves 4.

Course: Dinner, Lunch, Main Course

Cuisine: American, Italian

Keyword: Brussels Sprouts Cacio E Pepe

Servings: people

Calories: 143kcal

Author: Asian in America - Elizabeth Ann Quirino

Equipment

Large skillet: 12 inches or 14 inches in diameter

Ingredients

1 pound (16 oz) fettucini pasta
4 quarts water or enough to cook pasta, follow package directions
2 Tablespoons softened unsalted butter room temperature
1 package (7 oz.) Dubliner aged cheddar cheese grated, about 1 1/4 cup (Kerrygold USA)
1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
1 package (16 oz.) bacon strips save 1 Tablespoon of bacon fat when cooking strips
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic minced
1 pound Brussels sprouts core ends sliced, then each cut in half
1 Tablespoon butter for brussels sprouts
1 cup assorted unsalted nuts almonds, cashews, or pistachio
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper

Instructions

To cook pasta fettuccini: Boil in heavy stockpot with water. Follow directions on package. When pasta is cooked, remove from water and set aside in a colander. Save 1/3 cup of the pasta water.
To prepare pasta side dish: In a bowl, mix the pasta, pasta water, butter and grated cheddar cheese. Mix quickly so cheese blends in while pasta is piping-hot. Add the freshly ground black pepper all over. Set aside and keep warm.
To prepare bacon: Pre-cook the bacon strips in a large skillet. Lay out the strips evenly. Over medium high heat, cook till bacon is crisp. This will take about 10 minutes. When bacon is done, drain on paper towels a few minutes to remove excess oil. Then chop bacon into crumbled bits and set aside.
To cook the Brussels sprouts: Using the same skillet where bacon was cooked set the heat to medium. Discard most of the bacon oil in the skillet, leaving one tablespoon for cooking. Add extra virgin olive oil. When oil is hot enough, in 1 to 2 minutes, add the minced garlic. After 1 minute, add the Brussels sprouts. Pan fry for 12 to 15 minutes over medium heat till Brussels sprouts have dark, cooked edges and have a roasted aroma.
Add the butter and assorted nuts to the Brussels sprouts. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes for flavors to blend well. Season with lemon juice, salt and black pepper. Toss everything around to blend.
Pour the cooked bacon bits all over the top of the Brussels sprouts just before serving. Serve with the pasta fettuccini filled with cheese and black pepper.
Disclosure: Kerrygold USA sent me a generous gift box of assorted cheeses for the holidays. I used the Dubliner Aged Cheese for this recipe. I was not paid to mention the brand but I will gladly recommend these cheeses for recipes that require premium ingredients.
Cook's comments: If this brand of cheese is not available for you, substitute with Pecorino or Parmesan.
Hello, Friends! All the images and content on this blog are COPYRIGHT PROTECTED and owned by my media company Besa-Quirino LLC. This means BY LAW you are NOT allowed to copy, scrape, lift, frame, plagiarize or use my photos and recipe content I wrote, on your website without my permission. If you want to republish this recipe or content on another website or news article, please ASK my permission, re-write it in your own words and simply link back to this blog to give proper attribution. It’s the legal thing to do. Thank you. Email me at [email protected]

Nutrition