Penne with Pancetta and Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Penne with Pancetta and Roasted Brussels Sprouts

4.3 of 5 (4)
member ratings
Nutritional Info
  • Servings Per Recipe: 5
  • Amount Per Serving
  • Calories: 439.2
  • Total Fat: 21.5 g
  • Cholesterol: 35.2 mg
  • Sodium: 310.1 mg
  • Total Carbs: 48.4 g
  • Dietary Fiber: 3.7 g
  • Protein: 15.7 g

View full nutritional breakdown of Penne with Pancetta and Roasted Brussels Sprouts calories by ingredient


Introduction

Inspired and hungry, this dish was born. It is deeply satisfying and rich, a blend of chewy penne, salty, crisped pancetta, and sweet roasted brussels sprouts and cauliflower. Roasting the vegetables brings about such an intense, caramelized flavor. Adding a few glugs of cream at the end mediates the flavors and lays upon each ingredient like a sort of silk robe. And once I sprinkled a handful of crunchy, toasted walnuts over the pan, I was certain I wouldn't live to write about it. Inspired and hungry, this dish was born. It is deeply satisfying and rich, a blend of chewy penne, salty, crisped pancetta, and sweet roasted brussels sprouts and cauliflower. Roasting the vegetables brings about such an intense, caramelized flavor. Adding a few glugs of cream at the end mediates the flavors and lays upon each ingredient like a sort of silk robe. And once I sprinkled a handful of crunchy, toasted walnuts over the pan, I was certain I wouldn't live to write about it.
Number of Servings: 5

Ingredients

    * 2 cups brussels sprouts (1 pint), halved
    * 2 cups chopped cauliflower
    * 1 tablespoon olive oil
    * 4 oz diced pancetta or bacon (I used Citterio brand Pancetta, which I found at Trader Joe's)
    * 1 medium onion, diced
    * 1/4 cup heavy cream
    * 12 ounces dried pasta, preferably penne or rigatoni
    * 1/4 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped
    * parsley for garnish

Directions

# Preheat your oven to 400°F. In a large bowl, toss your brussels sprouts and cauliflower with the olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper. Spread the veggies on a large roasting pan and roast for 15-20 minutes, or until they have softened and browned.
# Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add your pasta and let it cook al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain and reserve 1/2 cup of your cooking water.
# While the pasta is boiling, add your diced pancetta to a large frying pan set over medium heat. Saute the pancetta for about 10 minutes, until crisp and browned. Remove it to a plate, leaving two tablespoons of grease in the pan.
# Return the pan to the burner, lower the heat to medium-low and add the chopped onion. Stir occasionally and let the onions soften for about 10 minutes, or until translucent. Add the garlic and stir constantly for 20 seconds.
# Toss your roasted veggies in the pan, along with the pancetta, and a half cup of starchy water that your pasta was cooked in. Add the drained pasta. Stir in the cream and let the mixture simmer for a few minutes, just until heated through and well combined. Remove the pan from heat and allow to cool and thicken for

Number of Servings: 5

Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user STAYFORDINNER.

Member Ratings For This Recipe


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    Good
    1 of 1 people found this review helpful
    Very Good - 8/18/18


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    Incredible!
    1 of 1 people found this review helpful
    This was a huge success! I did throw in some red chili flakes with the onions, (used shallots cuz there were no onions in the house), and a tad of unsalted butter... At the end I threw in some cherry tomatoes. Oh my goodness! - 8/17/18


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    My family actually loved these brussels sprouts! Wouldn't touch them before - 11/20/20


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    Very Good
    Delicious recipe. - 2/27/19


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    Incredible!
    This is absolutely the bomb! Had some brussel sprouts that needed used and this was something my husband would even eat. - 1/5/19