Penne With Brussels Sprouts And Crisp Bacon Recipes

PENNE WITH BRUSSELS SPROUTS, CHILE AND PANCETTA

Steps:

• Bring large pot heavily salted water to a boil. Add the penne and cook until pasta is just al dente (do not overcook).
• Meanwhile, heat large sauté pan over high heat and add the olive oil. When oil is hot, add the pancetta and rosemary, and sauté until the fat on the pancetta starts to turn translucent and very lightly brown, about 1 minute. Add the garlic, chile and freshly ground black pepper to taste, and sauté until garlic and pancetta turn richly brown, about 3 minutes. Add the brussels sprouts, a large pinch of salt and a splash of water to pan, and sauté until sprouts just start to soften, about 2 minutes. Spread sprouts mixture in pan and press down to flatten. Let it sear for a minute, then stir it up and repeat. This helps brown the sprouts. Add the butter, and sauté for another minute.
• Drain penne and add it to pan with brussels sprouts mixture. Cook, tossing, until everything is well mixed. Spoon into pasta bowls and top with a drizzle of oil and lemon juice, and a little cheese if you like.

CRISPY BACON FAT BRUSSELS SPROUTS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil.
• Slice the Brussels sprouts lengthwise into thirds. If some of the outer leaves fall off, that's okay; don't discard them--they'll crisp up nicely in the oven. Transfer the sprouts to a bowl, add the bacon fat, 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and toss to combine. Spread them out on the prepared baking sheet.
• Bake until the smaller sprouts are crispy, about 20 minutes. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and transfer the crispy sprouts to a serving plate. With tongs, flip over the remaining sprouts (flipping them individually makes for the crispiest results). Return to the oven and bake until deeply browned and crisp all over, 5 to 10 more minutes.