Alice Waters' Brussels Sprouts

Now, I did not write this... I like brussels sprouts! But thought the recipe interesting... and of you that don't like them might try them this way...

Alice Waters' Brussels sprouts

I've been trying and trying and TRYING to like brussels sprouts, but it's been a bitter battle. I once held the belief that any recipe that had bacon in it couldn't be anything but good...well, not quite. Case in point, I sampled some brussels sprouts that I oven-roasted with ham, parmesan cheese, garlic, and lemon juice. But they were still far too strong for me. Finally, after a few other failed attempts (I don't think drowning the little marbles in Velveeta-ish cheese is quite the answer), I consulted Alice Waters.

Via her Vegetables book, of course. She didn't let me down. In a spare paragraph that assumes the cook knows exactly what she's doing in the kitchen and therefore doesn't really need measurements, Waters talks about separating the leaves from the brussels sprouts, sautéeing them briefly over high heat in a bit of olive oil (I used one tablespoon) with pinches of salt and pepper, adding thinly sliced red onion and a pinch of hot pepper flakes (we have homemade stuff), sautéeing until the leaves are slightly browned and tender, and then adding minced garlic off heat. During the preparation of the sprouts, you have naturally been boiling pasta. Waters suggests farfalle, orrechiette, or penne because they are "sturdy dry" pastas. Orrechiette she specifically likes because "it has the same size and shape as the brussels sprouts leaves."

We used Campanelle, which is very cute mini trumpet-like pasta. Once the pasta is done, a squirt of lemon juice finishes the sprouts and the cooked pasta is put into the pan and tossed with the contents. You can add a drizzle of very good extra virgin olive oil to finish the dish (we use a Provençal oil from Maussane-les-Alpilles in les Baux) and then just serve.

It was incredible! Just the simple (although slightly time-consuming) act of separating the leaves made the sprouts so much sweeter and tastier. Waters notes that toasted bread crumbs can be added to the dish, but I found that unnecessary since the sprouts I got are in prime season and full of their true and ultimate flavor.