Pasta Carbonara with Brussels Sprouts & Bacon
This recipe for carbonara-style pasta with Brussel sprouts and bacon is a delightful and fresh twist on classic pasta carbonara. Combining lightly charred Brussel sprouts leaves, crispy bacon, and a silky smooth sauce, you’ll have an incredibly delicious Brussels sprouts pasta dinner ready in just 1 hour.
Ingredients
- 10 oz thick spaghetti (or any pasta shape of your choice)
- 3 strips bacon
- 10 Brussels sprouts
- 1 large egg
- 2 large egg yolks
- ¾ cup finely grated parmesan cheese
- ⅛ cup whole milk
- ¼ cup reserved pasta water
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil over high heat.
- Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium heat, about 10 minutes. Turn bacon a few times while cooking to get it evenly crisp and crunchy. Remove bacon from pan and set aside on a paper towel. Chop it up before adding it to the pasta.
- While bacon is cooking, prep the Brussels sprouts, by peeling and coring or thinly slicing. Whisk together the milk, egg, egg yolks, salt, pepper, and parmesan cheese in a large mixing bowl and set aside.
- Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook according to the "al dente" doneness instructions on the package.
- Increase skillet to medium-high and stir-fry Brussels sprouts leaves in bacon fat, tossing and stirring them gently until lightly charred and wilted, approximately 3-4 minutes.Remove from skillet, place in a small bowl, set aside. Turn off the burner, but leave the skillet on the stove, you’ll need it again later.
- When the pasta is almost done cooking, scoop ¼ cup of the pasta water from the pot and slowly drizzle it into into the egg mixture, whisking constantly. Take your time here — if you pour the hot water too quickly, your eggs will scramble!
- When pasta has finished cooking, lift pasta directly from the pot into the egg mixture, stirring and tossing to coat the pasta.
- Return skillet to low-medium heat. Transfer pasta and egg mixture to remaining bacon drippings and cook, stirring constantly, 2-3 minutes, until sauce thickens and evenly coats the noodles. Add Brussels sprouts leaves and half the chopped bacon and toss to combine.
- Distribute pasta evenly between bowls, sprinkle remaining chopped bacon on top. Grate additional parmesan cheese over the top to serve.
RECIPE NOTES
- If you don't have a mixing bowl with a rubber bottom, put a folded dish towel under the bowl with the egg mixture in it so you can whisk vigorously while adding the pasta water without your bowl sliding all over the place.
- If you're peeling and coring the Brussels sprouts, you want about 2 cups leaves, loosely packed. If you're slicing them thin, you want about 1 cup of Brussels sprouts.
- TIMING: If you'd rather not prep the Brussels sprouts and egg sauce while the bacon cooks, you can prep them both before you begin the cooking process. OR you can prep the Brussels sprouts while the bacon cooks, and wait to start cooking the pasta until after you finish cooking the Brussels sprouts and prep the egg mixture while the pasta cooks. These are good options if you're a bit slower at prep work or if you don't want your attention split between the stove and the cutting board while you're cooking.