When I first started doing stories on my Instagram, one of the first recipes to REALLY explode (behind Jalapeno cheddar bagels) was this Bacon and Brussels Carbonara. I used to make a variation of this to be baked in with a frittata and then thought…. WhAt iF I DiD tHiS wItH PaStA?!?!. And, here we are. This is one of the most flavourful pastas I make. Every single bite is a flavour punch. Is this a classic Italian dish? Sure isn’t. But it’s a new pasta staple to add into your comfort food rotation. I hope this brings your tastebuds to life!!!
Ingredients
2 Dozen Brussels Sprouts
6 Slices of Bacon
4 Cloves of Garlic
3 Eggs
½ Cup of Parmigiano Reggiano
Bucatini (or whatever other favourite pasta you have)
Directions
First things first, bring salted water to a boil and cook your pasta per package instructions. It’s easy to get distracted and either under or overcook your pasta. Look at the package and set a timer. Your pasta will thank you.
Now to start preparing the goods. We need to shave our brussels sprouts. The way I do this is I slice the brussels in half lengthwise but leave the bottom ‘stem’ intact. Then hold the stem and thinly slice. Put them in a bowl and save for later.
Next, grate your garlic and add it to your shaved brussels. Note: I always cut all of my veggies before I touch any meats so I don't have to wash my cutting board twice and so the last thing I prep is the first item I cook.
In a bowl, whisk together the 3 eggs and your ½ cup of shaved parmigiano-reggiano. You can use more or less parm, whatever you want, but I like AT LEAST half a cup.
Slice your bacon into small pieces and let's get cookin’! Cook your bacon in a pan until nice and crisp. You want your bacon cooked exactly to how you like it before adding any other ingredients because as soon as you add anything else, your bacon will stop crisping. I usually cook until my bacon starts to foam. You’ll know it when you see it.
Then add your brussels and garlic to the mix and cook until wilted. At this point, you may find your brussels sticking to the pan. If this is the case, add a quarter cup of pasta water and it should do the trick. You’re going to need to add pasta water anyways, so adding some now is perfectly fine.
The cooking of your bacon and brussels and your pasta should line up perfectly. Turn off the heat, add your pasta to your bacon and brussels mix and give the whole thing a mix. Now is about the right time to add some more pasta water as well.
Once it’s all combined, add your egg and parm mixture and mix mix mix. The hot noodles will cook the egg and melt the parm and you’ll end up with a wonderful, creamy pasta.
Serve and shave some more parm on top. Now bask in the glory that is Bacon and Brussels pasta.
Note: I don’t salt anything in this pasta with the exception of the pasta water. Bacon and parm are already quite salty, but I’ll leave this up to your discretion. Just know, it's likely you won’t need it.
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