Pasta With Brussels Sprouts and Pecorino Cheese

By
Molly Watson
Molly Watson
An award-winning food writer and cookbook author, Molly Watson has created more than 1,000 recipes focused on local, seasonal ingredients.
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Updated on 12/2/20
Pasta With Brussels Sprouts and Pecorino Cheese

The Spruce / Stephanie Goldfinger

Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 15 mins
Total: 35 mins
Servings: 4 servings
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
474 Calories
13g Fat
69g Carbs
19g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 474
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 13g 17%
Saturated Fat 4g 19%
Cholesterol 103mg 34%
Sodium 1940mg 84%
Total Carbohydrate 69g 25%
Dietary Fiber 4g 15%
Total Sugars 3g
Protein 19g
Vitamin C 36mg 178%
Calcium 163mg 13%
Iron 4mg 23%
Potassium 420mg 9%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Nutty Brussels sprouts, rich eggs, and flavorful Pecorino cheese make a quick and delicious pasta sauce that's ready in the time it takes to boil the water and cook the pasta. This recipe is inspired by traditional pasta carbonara, where raw eggs are combined with the grated cheese and added to the hot pasta, which essentially "cooks" the eggs for the sauce. Thus, this dish is best when high-quality eggs are used. People concerned about raw egg consumption may want to leave them out entirely and just coat the pasta with the veggies and cheese.

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon plus 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt (plus more to taste)

  • 12 ounces pasta such as orecchiette or penne 

  • 8 ounces Brussels sprouts

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil or butter

  • 2 cloves garlic (minced)

  • 1/4 teaspoon red chili flakes, or to taste, optional

  • 2 large eggs

  • 1/2 cup grated Pecorino cheese (or other hard grating cheese, such as Parmesan), plus more to taste

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Pasta With Brussels Sprouts and Pecorino Cheese ingredients

    The Spruce / Stephanie Goldfinger

  2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat.

    water in a pot

    The Spruce / Stephanie Goldfinger

  3. Add 1 tablespoon of the salt to the water and then the pasta. Cook until the pasta is tender to the bite (starting to test it a minute or 2 before the guidelines on the box).

    pasta in a pot with water

    The Spruce / Stephanie Goldfinger

  4. While the water comes to a boil, prep the Brussels sprouts: Trim off and discard any browned or dried ends and pull off and discard any dried out, browned, or yellowed exterior leaves.

    prep the Brussels Sprouts

    The Spruce / Stephanie Goldfinger

  5. Use a kitchen mandoline or sharp knife to cut the sprouts lengthwise into thin slices. (The slices will fall apart into shreds a bit, which is exactly what you want for a varied texture in the final dish.)

    Brussels Sprouts cut lengthwise into pieces

    The Spruce / Stephanie Goldfinger

  6. While the pasta cooks, in a large frying pan over medium-high heat, add the olive oil, garlic, and red pepper flakes, if using.

    olive oil, garlic, and red pepper flakes in a frying pan

    The Spruce / Stephanie Goldfinger

  7. When fragrant and sizzling, add the Brussels sprouts and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt.

    Brussels sprouts added to the spices in the skillet

    The Spruce / Stephanie Goldfinger

  8. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sprouts are soft, about 3 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and keep warm, stirring occasionally.

    cook Brussels Sprouts in the skillet

    The Spruce / Stephanie Goldfinger

  9. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs until well-beaten.

    whisk eggs together in a large bowl

    The Spruce / Stephanie Goldfinger

  10. Add the cheese and stir to combine. Set aside.

    add cheese to the beaten eggs in the bowl

    The Spruce / Stephanie Goldfinger

  11. When the pasta is done cooking, drain immediately.

    drain pasta in a colander

    The Spruce / Stephanie Goldfinger

  12. Add the pasta to the egg and cheese mixture. Toss to coat the pasta.

    pasta tossed in the egg and cheese mixture

    The Spruce / Stephanie Goldfinger

  13. Add the Brussels sprouts mixture to the pasta and toss to combine thoroughly. Add more salt, pepper flakes, or cheese to taste.

    Pasta With Brussels Sprouts and Pecorino Cheese ingredients combined in a bowl

    The Spruce / Stephanie Goldfinger

Raw Egg Warning

Consuming raw and lightly-cooked eggs poses a risk of food-borne illness.

Tip

It's important to add the eggs while the pasta is still very hot since the heat from the freshly cooked pasta will lightly cook the eggs and melt the cheese, which makes the final sauce.