Pasta with Brussels Sprouts and Pancetta

I know… it's a culinary cliché that the one vegetable kids hate most is Brussels sprouts. While some people think they're icky, our family loves them, especially if they're prepared right. I'm firmly convinced that the reason people don't like certain vegetables is because they aren't cooked properly.

This Brussels sprout pasta dish is something I put together recently in an effort to find a way to use the little guys in a main dish. I think it turned out really good, and my son even asked for seconds! There aren't many ingredients in this dish—less is definitely more in this case. Just make sure you use fresh high-quality sprouts and good olive oil.

Ingredients

• 1 pound dried pasta of your choice (we used rigatoni)
• 4 ounces pancetta, diced
• 1 pound Brussels sprouts, trimmed and quartered or shredded
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup pasta cooking water
• Grated parmesan cheese for serving

Directions

Trim sprouts and either quarter or shred them. You can even use the packaged shredded kind sold at Trader Joe's.

Cook pasta according to package directions.

While waiting for the water to boil and pasta to cook, heat olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Add pancetta and cook until almost crispy, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook briefly over low heat until it's lightly browned.

Add Brussels sprouts to pan and toss to combine with pancetta and garlic. Cook for 10 minutes over low heat or until sprouts are tender. Remove from heat if the pasta's not done cooking yet so you don't overcook (you want the pasta to be al dente).

Drain cooked pasta, reserving 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water. Return skillet to heat, if necessary, and add pasta and pasta cooking water. Cook over medium heat for another 5 minutes.

Transfer pasta to a serving bowl and toss with a little parmesan cheese, then pass more at the table.