Brussel Sprout and Bacon Pasta

July 28, 2019 9 Comments

I was that kid who wanted nothing to do with brussel sprouts. I thought they smelled weird and my stubborn self wouldn’t even give them a shot. Now that I love them, I’m kind of sad that I went so long hating on them. Served with bacon and either roasted or sautéed, they are one of my favorite side dishes. Well this time, I turned one of my favorite sides into a complete dinner! This brussel sprout and bacon pasta is super easy, quick and SO darn tasty. I used turkey bacon to make it leaner and because it was what I had on hand. There was also beer involved. Yes, please!

I cooked up my diced turkey bacon first until it was crispy. While it was cooking I deglazed the pan with half of the beer and scraped up all of the brown bits it left as it cooked. That was pure flavor right there! Then I deglazed again with more beer before I added the rest of the sauce.
I cooked my brussel sprouts with the bacon for a couple of minutes before I added in some chicken stock, some starchy pasta cooking water from the pasta I had cooking at the same time, and lots of parmesan cheese. That all cooked together for about 10 minutes before I brought the whole dish together.
I stirred in the pasta along with more parmesan cheese and a little butter to really bring it home. Amazing how wonderful those brussel sprouts look to me now when I couldn’t stand them back in the day.

That was all there was to it! Oh my goodness, there really is just something special about how that bacon flavor works so well with the brussel sprouts. Making it a complete meal with the pasta combined so many of my favorite things. Hope you all love it too!! xoxo

Brussel Sprout and Bacon Pasta
Brussel Sprout and Bacon Pasta
5 from 2 votes
Brussel Sprout and Bacon Pasta
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Brussel Sprout and Bacon Pasta
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
 

This brussel sprout and bacon pasta is so simple and flavorful! It's my favorite side of brussel sprouts with bacon turned into a complete meal.

Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Brussel Sprout and Bacon Pasta, Pasta
Servings: 6
Calories: 424 kcal
Author: Jeanie and Lulu’s Kitchen
Ingredients
  • 14 slices turkey bacon diced small
  • 1 pound brussel sprouts trimmed and halved
  • 1/2 cup beer divided
  • 1/2 cup chicken stock
  • 3/4 cup parmesan cheese divided
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 pound mezzi rigatoni or any short pasta with ridges
  • 1 tablespoon butter
Instructions

  1. First, get a large pot on to boil for the pasta. Then get out a large skillet and put the bacon in it cold. Heat it up over medium high heat and let it cook until crisp. When it is starting to leave a brown layer on the bottom, deglaze the pan with half of the beer and scrape it all up. Once the bacon is crisp, deglaze the pan with the rest of the beer and add in the brussel sprouts. Scrape up the rest of the brown bits and stir it all together. Let it cook for a couple of minutes, then add in the chicken stock. Season it all with the salt and garlic powder. Meanwhile, salt the boiling pasta water and cook the pasta until tender for about 8 minutes.

  2. While the pasta cooks, take 1/2 a cup of the cooking water and pour it into the pan of bacon and brussel sprouts. Add in 1/2 cup of the parmesan cheese and let it all melt in and emulsify with the liquids. When the pasta is done, drain it and stir it into the pan of sauce. Stir in the remaining parmesan and the butter to bring it all together. Scoop it into bowls and serve immediately! Enjoy!!

Nutrition Facts
Brussel Sprout and Bacon Pasta
Amount Per Serving (1 g)
Calories 424 Calories from Fat 68
% Daily Value*
Fat 7.5g12%
Saturated Fat 3.3g21%
Cholesterol 36mg12%
Sodium 577mg25%
Potassium 313mg9%
Carbohydrates 64.2g21%
Fiber 5.5g23%
Sugar 4.4g5%
Protein 23.4g47%
Calcium 12mg1%
Iron 24mg133%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
This brussel sprout and bacon pasta is so simple and flavorful! It's my favorite side of brussel sprouts with bacon turned into a complete meal. #pasta #dinner #bacon #brusselsprouts #jeanieandluluskitchen #brusselsproutandbaconpasta

9 thoughts on “Brussel Sprout and Bacon Pasta”

    1. I can relate. I actually never enjoyed brussel sprouts until this year and I’m not sure exactly what happened but now I absolutely love them! I cannot wait to try your recipe. This flavor combination with the bacon and pasta sounds divine.

  3. Yumm this looks so good!!! I will have to try making this gluten free!! Such a great share.

  4. Bacon and brussel sprouts are such an excellent combination of flavors. I just recently discovered it and can’t believe it took me so long.

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5 from 2 votes (1 rating without comment)