Spaghetti & Brussel Sprouts
by Dec 8th, 2010 // Dinner, Healthy, Recipes, Veggie Friendly
Spaghetti & Brussel Sprouts
You know those days when you look in the fridge and there is NOTHING to eat? And you don’t want to order in greasy take-out? And you don’t even really want to cook? This was one of those days. Really. The only thing left in the fridge was leftover brussel sprouts from Thanksgiving. I wasn’t even sure if they were still good. Also, I only had whole wheat spaghetti. That’s usually the spaghetti that I cover in red sauce so we don’t notice the whole wheat aspect.
I didn’t even snap many pictures of us making this dish because I was convinced it would be unremarkable. But, alas, it turned out to be one of the best “whatever’s in the cupboard” meals I have ever thrown together. In fact, I’m buying brussel sprouts this week to make it again. I love happy accidents. Do you? I’m always fascinated to hear what other folks do when their cupboards are bare. Tell me about your happy accidents! Now for the recipe…
Spaghetti & Brussel Sprouts
Prep Time: 10 mins Cooking Time: 15 mins
Ingredients:
20 small brussel sprouts
3 to 4 tablespoons olive oil
juice of 1 large lemon
fresh cracked pepper & sea salt
grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 lb whole wheat spaghetti
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and bring a large pot of water to a boil. Wash and trim brussel sprouts and cut them in half lengthwise. Pour 2 tablespoons of oil into a cast iron skillet and place brussel sprouts cut side down into skillet. Cook over medium heat without moving sprouts until they begin to brown. Meanwhile, throw your spaghetti in the boiling water and set the timer for 6 minutes. When the brussel sprouts have browned, place them in the oven and set the timer for 4 minutes. When the timer goes over, put the sprouts back on the burner on medium low. Flip the brussel sprouts over, add lemon juice to the pan and begin to de-glaze. Use tongs to transfer your cooked spaghetti from the water to your cast iron skillet. You want some of that pasta water to make its way to the pan. Continue to cook / de-glaze and add another tablespoon or two of olive oil to taste. Add a generous amount of cracked pepper and sprinkle with sea salt. Serve with grated parmesan cheese. Makes 4 servings.
Oh how I love brussel sprouts, definitely going to try this one!
That's funny, I had almost the same dinner Monday night for exactly the same reason. We threw in an 8 oz jar of tomato sauce that was the tail end of a batch I canned this summer and wouldn't get used elsewhere because it was so small. Our brussels were over whole grain bowties and no lemon. We liked it too
This looks so delicious. Thanks for posting it!
This is pretty much my refrigerator right now, so I can't wait to try it!! Thank you for the idea! I've never put brussels sprouts IN anything before!
it sounds fabulous, but it also sounds like something that I'd be the only one to enjoy. I love brussel sprouts, but I can't seem to convince anyone else in my house that they are wonderful.
I have been eating brussel sprouts nonstop for the last 2 days! I had never had them before so I was pretty surprised how much I liked them. I've only been eating them in one recipe, however, so I'll be glad to venture out a little. This looks great.
This recipe is great and I love your ingenuity. Fast and fresh is always the easiest. You can also heat some olive oil and add the cut sprouts to the hot oil with a bit of salt. Cook them covered until they are tender. Add them to the cooked pasta along with a tablespoon or two of the hot pasta water.
I had a similar day recently and ended up with the most delicious sweet potato quesadillas – I had a sweet potato left over from thanksgiving. I poked it with a fork several times, wrapped it in a wet paper towel and nuked it in the microwave for 15 minutes. While that was happening, I sauteed a white onion with salt, pepper, garlic powder, cumin and cayenne. When the potato was good and soft, I added it to the onions and made a refried-potato type mix. I slopped the whole thing in a tortilla, added some cheese, threw it back in the micro for a minute to get the cheese melty, and topped it with randon leftover creme fresh that was also in my fridge. Soooooo delish, and really really easy.