Cooking with Friends: Brussels Sprouts, Honey Roasted Almonds and Parmesan Pasta

Finished dish - the sprouts are slightly caramelized

The other night, Corey and I decided to make dinner for our hubbies and, knowing they both love Brussels sprouts, we found (and then modified) a recipe that would appeal to both sweet and savory preferences. This Brussels Sprouts, Honey Roasted Almonds and Parmesan Pasta is super easy to make, and an appealing combination of flavors. 

Ingredients

• 3/4 pound Brussels sprouts, trimmed and coarsely chopped (we quartered them) 
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil  
• Salt and pepper 
• 3/4 pound pasta (we used a type of linguine) 
• 2 tablespoons butter 
• 3/4 cup honey-roasted almonds --- see almond roasting recipe here
• 1 cup shredded Parmesan 

Ready to Cook!

• Preheat the oven to 400°.
• On a baking sheet, toss the Brussels sprouts with the olive oil; season with salt and pepper. Roast, tossing occasionally, until browned, about 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the pasta until al dente.
• Drain, reserving 1/3 cup pasta cooking water.
• Return the pasta and reserved cooking water to the pot.
• Stir in the butter and Brussels sprouts; toss in the almonds.
• Top with the Parmesan cheese. Enjoy!

Variations:

You can change this up as you'd like, maybe roasting red pearl onions (give them a 10 minute head start in the roasting pan, then throw in the Brussels sprouts). 

Or, you can saute half of one thinly sliced leek in a pan. Splash in some fresh lemon juice (about a tablespoon) and white wine (about three tablespoons), allowing it to reduce a bit before adding to the pasta.

Or, try some turkey bacon, cooked until crisp then crumbled over the top as you're serving it. Like more savory than sweet? Just dry-roast the almonds, or toast pine nuts instead.  

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