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Wednesday, November 6, 2013

Linguine with Brussels Sprouts, Cranberries, and Caramelized Onions

fall pasta
Linguine with Brussels Sprouts, Cranberries, and Caramelized Onions
This is a fall dish at its finest! I think I interrupted our conversations over dinner at least three times to ask Ryan, “isn’t this SO good?!”. He agreed, although maybe not with quite the same vigorous enthusiasm as I had…but only because our displays of emotion typically fall on opposite ends of the spectrum!
Pin Itfall pasta
In terms of a pasta dish, this isn’t all that heavy. Rather than a cream based sauce, the pasta is simply tossed with a little bit of the cooking water and some parmesan cheese. The brussels sprouts, caramelized onions, dried cranberries, and bacon (a definite must if you’re a bacon fan!!) add plenty of flavor. It was one of those dishes that, while packing up the leftovers, I kept finding myself sneaking bites.
fall pasta
And while we’re on the topic of pasta, do yourself a favor and make this creamy mushroom fettuccine florentine.

One Year Ago: Pumpkin Morning Glory Muffins and Roasted Vegetable and Refried Bean Tostadas
Two Years Ago: Curried Chickpeas with Couscous and Creamy Pumpkin Peanut Soup
Three Years Ago: Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Apples and Roasted Eggplant Pasta with Goat Cheese
Four Years Ago: Apple Oat Crisp and Pizza FAIL

Linguine with Brussels Sprouts, Cranberries, and Caramelized Onions
from Saveur Magazine

Ingredients:
-4 slices bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
-2 cups (about 12 oz) Brussels sprouts, trimmed and cut in half vertically
-1 medium onion, thinly sliced
-1 cup chicken broth
-1/4 cup dry vermouth
-1/2 cup dried cranberries, coarsely chopped
-6 oz. linguine or fettuccine
-2 oz. Parmesan cheese, coarsely shredded
-kosher salt & black pepper, to taste

Directions:
1. Cook bacon in a large, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat until bacon is crisp, about 7 minutes. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon, leaving the fat in the pan. Drain bacon on paper towels and set aside.
2. Increase heat to medium-high and add Brussels sprouts, arranging cut-side down. Cook, without stirring, until sprouts are crisp and browned (about 2 minutes). Add the onion and toss to combine with the sprouts. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is translucent (4-5 minutes).
3. Add the broth, vermouth, and dried cranberries, and bring to a simmer. Cover, reduce heat to medium, and cook until sprouts are soft (about 10 minutes).
4. Meanwhile, cook pasta to al dente, reserving 1/4 cup of the cooking water. Add pasta to the skillet with the sprouts and toss continuously over medium-high heat for 1-2 minutes, until most of the liquid is absorbed (add pasta cooking water 1 tbsp at a time if pasta is too dry). Season with salt and pepper and serve with parmesan cheese and reserved bacon.