Meatless Monday: Brussels Sprout Spaghetti with Marcona Almonds, Gruyere Cheese & Bread Crumbs
Spaghetti has never been my favorite pasta. It might be the result of always eating it growing up or maybe it's a texture thing. Either way, I make a LOT of pasta as an adult, but this is probably the first box of spaghetti I've bought myself. I can't remember why I even bought it, but felt like I should use it up and this dish was perfectly suited for it.
I love new pasta combinations. For as versatile as pasta is, it's easy to get into a rut of making the same dish over and over. In college, I probably made some sort of pasta with red sauce, sauteed peppers, mushrooms and onions a zillion times. As delicious as that can be, mixing things up is definitely a good thing and I'm always inspired whenever I go to a restaurant and try a pasta combination that I never would've thought to concoct. This last weekend, we had a smoked chicken, calabrian pepper and charred onion cresta di gallo at the new Scena Tavern in Uptown. It was simple, but so flavorful. The kind of dish that lingers in your mind well after you've left the table.
The combination of slightly charred brussels sprouts, marcona almonds and gruyere cheese tends to linger in my mind, as well. All three ingredients provide a nuttiness to the dish, but each in their own different way. I like to use pre-shredded brussels sprouts and gruyere for simplicity's sake; both available at Trader Joe's. Plain marcona almonds are fabulous and delicious, though, I had some leftover rosemary ones also from Trader Joe's that provided a nice flavor to this, as well.
Brussels Sprout Spaghetti with Marcona Almonds, Gruyere Cheese & Bread Crumbs
Serves: 2
Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
1/2 lb. spaghetti (I used whole wheat)
1 tbsp. butter (plus more, needed)
1/3 red onion, diced
2 c. shredded brussels sprouts
1/2 c. marcona almonds, chopped
1 c. Gruyere cheese, shredded
1/2 c. bread crumbs (I used whole wheat)
salt/pepper, to taste
Method:
1. Cook spaghetti according to package instructions, reserving the cooking water once done. In the meantime, heat butter in a large saute pan. Saute diced onion over medium heat until just transluscent. Add in brussel sprouts and continue to saute until they become slightly golden. Add more butter if your pan becomes too dry.
2. Once the brussel sprouts are golden, add in chopped marcona almonds and stir; saute for a minute or two. Add cooked spaghetti to pan, along with the shredded cheese and about 1/2 c. reserved pasta water. Stir until cheese is melted and the pasta is glossy. Add in more pasta water and butter, if desired, until this is achieved. Season with salt and pepper to taste and top with bread crumbs.
