Sometimes I even surprise myself- Pasta with Brussels Sprouts and Bacon

I'm not gonna lie. I'm a mediocre cook. I can put together a tasty meal most of the time, but it's nothing out of the ordinary. But sometimes I strike gold, and when that happens, I'm quite aware that it's pure luck.

This was one of those times. Tired from a full day of skiing followed by a 3 mile training run. Limited on ingredients, and trying to clean out the fridge at the same time. Consuming most of a bottle of white wine. Et voila. Out comes magic. This is why sometimes I find it hard to care too much about cooking, because its when I care the least that it works out the most. The more invested I am in it, the worse it turns out. Perhaps its just my poor luck. Or perhaps its that carefree mentality that allows my stress to be low and the recipe to work just perfectly. Either way, this one was a homerun.

Or maybe it was the white wine talking, but after a day full of activity, this was about as good as it gets.

And not to mention the fact that at the same time I was coaching my errant husband, via Skype, how to cook his first meal (curtesy of Ms Martha Stewart, whose recipes I may extol in a later entry).



Pasta with Brussels Sprouts and Bacon

12 oz. penne pasta
salt and pepper, to taste
2 slices of good thick bacon, not too lean, chopped into 1-inch pieces
1/2 onion (or 2-3 shallots), diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
8-10 brussles sprouts, halved and de-stemmed
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup chicken stock
Sharp dry cheese such as Romano or Parmigiano, shredded (optional)

Fill a large pot with water to 2/3 and bring to a boil over high heat. Add some salt to season and then add pasta. Cook as package specifies or until just al dente. Drain and reserve.



Meanwhile, in a saute pan heated to medium-high heat, add the chopped bacon. Cook until bacon is just starting to get crispy (don't overcook!). Add the onions, brussels sprouts and garlic, and cook; stirring frequently until the sprounts are tender and the onions are translucent (see note). Don't let the garlic brown, if it starts to, add some water to the mix.

Add the white wine to the pan and cook until the wine has mostly cooked off and onions are just a bit liquidy, maybe 2-3 minutes. Add the stock, stir well and bring to a boil. Season with salt and pepper to taste, bringing the heat down so the pan is at a simmer.

Heat the empty pasta pot to medium heat, add the olive oil and then add the brussels sprouts mixture. After a moment, toss the drained pasta in with the vegetable sauce stirring frequently so that the pasta doesn't burn. Cook for 5-10 minutes, stirring and tossing frequently, or until the pasta has gotten fully coated with the sauce. I used to skip this step, but Top Chef has won me over, and I fully believe it's the best way to get a thin sauce to really coat every piece of pasta. Trust me, it's worth the extra five minutes.

Serve garnished with the cheese, if desired.

Note: I used leftover roasted brussels sprouts, so literally only added them to the pan long enough to heat them. If you use fresh, I'm not sure how long it would take to cook them through. you might have to cook them longer than my estimated time (10-15 minutes). I advise you to take this into account, or consider roasting them beforehand in some olive oil and salt and pepper for 45 minutes until they start to get crispy on the outside.