You probably turn your nose up at the thought of brussel sprouts, but these are not the sad sprouts of your childhood. These crispy, caramelised winter veggies deserve to be the star of the meal. And pasta is just the way to do that with plenty of fresh lemon and garlic.
I’ve chosen Pappardelle, which is an egg pasta, lending itself well to the nuttiness of the brown butter and bright, fresh flavor from the lemon. But as always with our weekly recipes – they are up for interpretation.
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Add the butter to a small saucepan over medium heat. Melt the butter, stirring frequently. Continue to cook the butter until brown bits form at the bottom of the pan. It will take about 6-8 minutes. Once the butter is brown remove it from the heat.
Cook the pasta in salted water in a large pot until al dente. While the pasta cooks, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Swirl to coat the bottom and then add in the shallot, shaved brussels sprouts, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Sauté until the brussels sprouts are tender and caramelized, about 6-8 minutes.
Once the brussels sprouts are tender, squeeze in the juice of a lemon and add in the parmesan cheese and pappardelle. Pour in the brown butter and add in about 1/3 cup of the pasta water (more if needed). Toss everything together with tongs until it’s coated in the sauce. Top with the toasted walnuts and extra parmesan cheese before serving.
How to Brown Butter
There aren’t many ingredients in this recipe, so you might be wondering where all the flavor comes from. It’s all in the brown butter! If you’ve never made brown butter you’ve been missing out - you’ll want to add it to everything!
Cut the butter into smaller slices rather than putting it all in at once. In a small light-colored saucepan over medium heat, add the butter and let it melt, whisking occasionally.
Once it’s melted, continue to let it cook. You’ll notice that foam appears at the top. Continue to whisk frequently. As the foam dissipates you’ll start to see flecks of brown at the bottom of the pan. The butter should also start to smell nutty
When the bottom of the pan is covered in the brown flecks, remove it from the heat to stop the cooking process. Brown butter can turn into burnt butter if cooked too long and the taste will not be appealing. Overall, the whole process should take 5-8 minutes depending on the amount of butter you’re using.
