Name: brussels sprouts carbonara
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 60 min
Ingredients: 10 oz thick spaghetti ((or any pasta shape of your choice)); 3 strips thick, center-cut bacon ((and/or cubed prosciutto and/or cubed pancetta)); 10 brussels sprouts ((approx 2 cups brussels sprouts leaves)); 1 large egg; 2 large egg yolks; ¾ cup finely grated parmesan cheese ((buy a wedge and grate it yourself!)); ⅛ cup milk; ¼ cup reserved pasta water

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This creamy, easy-to-make carbonara with salty bacon bits and lightly charred Brussels sprouts is an entree and side dish all in one.

Brussels sprouts carbonara is a dish Jimmy and I accidentally came up with on recent trip to the mountains. We knew the area had few restaurants or grocery shops and that we'd probably be cooking in an unfamiliar kitchen without our usual arsenal of kitchen tools. So we planned our meals and grocery list with a few considerations in mind:

Bringing as few ingredients as possible
Using those ingredients in a few different ways
Not having to bring those ingredients home with us
Minimal tools and equipment required to prep

The perfect solution? Carbonara.

an overhead shot of brussels sprouts carbonara in a white bowl. a fork sticks out of the noodles, resting onn the lower right edge of the bowl.

Traditional carbonara is a luxurious dish made with lots of eggs, guanciale, and lots and lots of cheese. But our favorite quick carbonara recipe from Cooking Light uses simple ingredients and a splash of milk to help make the sauce creamy (sacrilegious, I know).

The ingredient list is 90% breakfast foods: eggs, bacon, and milk. All we needed specific to the carbonara was the pasta. And all we needed specific to breakfast was some toast.

We also had some Brussels sprouts in our fridge that we knew would go bad while we were away, so we brought them with us. Plus, we recently fell in love with Bon Appetit's Stir-Fried Brussels Sprouts, so we knew we'd have an easy side-dish.

a shallow white bowl of brussels sprouts carbonara. two glasses are visible in the background behind it, along with the edge of another bowl of carbonara.

The first night, we cooked according to plan and made carbonara with a side of stir-fried Brussels sprouts.

but on the second night, we got a little lazy, and brussels sprouts carbonara was born

We cored and separated the leaves of the Brussels sprouts, but then, instead of getting out a second pan to stir-fry them as a side dish, we tossed them in with the bacon fat. Then, when we added the chopped bacon back into the carbonara at the end, we dumped the lightly charred Brussels sprout leaves straight into the carbonara with it.

A wide shallow white pasta bowl with a spiral mountain of carbonara noodles in the center. brussels sprout leaves and bacon bits garnish the plate. a fork sticks straight up out of the center of the pasta pile.

As much as I love regular carbonara, I think Brussels sprouts carbonara might be my favorite.

The slightly bitter, earthy leaves from the Brussels sprouts balance out the saltiness of the bacon and the richness of the sauce. They bring a nice pop of green color to an otherwise beige dish. And, if you time all your steps right, you can make it all in one pot (aside from the pasta pot), which is always a win in my book.

A close up of the brussels sprout carbonara with a fork sticking out of the noodles.

coring and peeling brussels sprouts

Coring and peeling your Brussels sprouts is the most tedious part of this dish. I use a paring knife to trim the bottom of each sprout, separating the leaves from the core, then I push the leaves outward from the bottom with my thumb and peel them off one by one. I keep trimming the base of the sprout shorter to release the leaves until I can't peel and more leaves off.

[gif] cutting off the bottom of a brussels sprout — step 1: trim stem

[gif] removing the outer leaves from a brussels sprout — step 1: trim stem

You'll want to make sure you do peel and core the brussels sprouts before you start cooking (or while the bacon is cooking), just so you aren't rushing yourself.

don't scramble your eggs

A large glass bowl sits on a grey speckled kitchen counter. The bowl is filled with a bright yellow egg, cheese, milk, and bacon mixture which is being vigorously whisked. A hand dips into frame from the top holding a metal ¼ cup measuring cup, slowly dripping pasta water into the mixture.

The creaminess of a carbonara sauce comes from the richness of the egg yolks. As Bon Appetit explains:

The whites of the egg combine with the starch in the pasta water to add viscosity to the sauce while the yolk adds richness and flavor. Because egg yolks are a powerful emulsifier, they also help bind the fat from the pork to the sauce, creating a smooth, velvety texture without any separation.
"Make Silky Carbonara—Not Scrambled Egg Pasta," Bon Appetit

As with any recipe that requires adding hot liquid (in this case, pasta water) to an egg base, you have to be careful not to add the hot water too quickly or you'll end up scrambling your eggs. You'll want to whisk your egg mixture constantly while adding the pasta water, and add the pasta water slowly — in a very fine drizzle.

To hold your mixing bowl in place while both hands are in motion you can either place a folded dish towel under your bowl, or invest in a mixing bowl with a rubber bottom that will stay put as you mix.

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