It’s been nearly four years since my husband’s and my trip to Italy but there’s a dish we ate at an outdoor trattoria one afternoon in Rome that was so memorable and delicious, I can recall the flavors and memory like it was yesterday. There’s just nothing like spaghetti carbonara!
That said, it was high time I recreated the epic Italian pasta dish with my own personal spin. Bacon and Brussels Sprout Spaghetti Carbonara brings the trattoria experience into the comfort of your own home!
I remember that lunch like it was yesterday. It was a sweltering September afternoon in Rome when Ben and I stopped at an adorable trattoria on a stone street in a bustling, narrow alleyway somewhere between the Spanish Steps, Pantheon, and Trevi Fountain. Frankly we had no clue where we were but decided to figure it out while splitting a carafe of vino de la casa and a couple plates of pasta. Looking around after we cheers’d to a successful morning of sightseeing, I honestly wondered if we had stumbled onto a movie set. The setting was so perfect it was surreal. That’s Italy for you. Pictures don’t do it justice!
Our plates came out quickly and our forks hit the food before the waiter left. The portions were small, as Italian restaurants serve pasta as a first course, but it was truly better than any pasta we’d ever had and I still remember how Ben so dramatically described his order, Spaghetti alla Carbonara – humbling. I laughed but he was right. It was incredible! Even more incredible is how simple it was. Pasta, bacon, garlic, eggs, pepper, cheese. Like I always say, the simplest meals, made with great ingredients, always tastes the best. Being in Italy didn’t hurt. Feeling inspired, I recreated the dish he ordered at that trattoria in Italy, and give it a state-side spin with the addition of caramelized brussels sprouts and shallots. I feel like spaghetti carbonara as we know it should be rewritten to always include this delectable combo!
Cooked spaghetti, crisp bacon, caramelized shallots, and sliced brussels sprouts are lightly coated in a rich and creamy sauce made from eggs, salt, pepper, and freshly shredded parmesan cheese. So simple. So delicious. Let’s get you some!
Start by whisking eggs with salt and lots of coarsely cracked black pepper until smooth then whisk in freshly grated parmesan cheese. This is essentially the sauce for the dish so don’t skimp on the salt, and especially the pepper.
Set the eggs and cheese aside then trim fresh brussels sprouts. Slice the core end off then remove any outer leaves that fall away.
Next, thinly slice the sprouts. We have a few options here:
Alrighty, time to get cooking! First crisp chopped bacon in a large, 10-12″ skillet then remove to a paper towel-lined plate to drain, leaving the excess bacon grease in the skillet. Add enough extra virgin olive oil to the skillet to equal 2 Tablespoons fat total.
Add the shredded brussels sprouts along with a sliced shallot or 1/2 small sliced onion then season with salt and pepper, turn the heat up slightly, and then saute until the sprouts are deeply caramelized and tender, 8-10 minutes. Add minced garlic then saute for 1 more minute.
Stir the cooked bacon back into the skillet then remove it from the heat.
Meanwhile, cook spaghetti in a large pot of salted, boiling water. As far as timing, begin heating the water while crisping the bacon then add the pasta into the boiling water when you begin sauting the brussels sprouts.
Once the spaghetti is al dente use tongs to transfer it into to the skillet with the brussels sprouts mixture (again, which should be OFF the heat.) Pour the whisked egg and cheese mixture into the skillet then start stirring and tossing the pasta until it’s evenly coated. Ladle in some of the hot pasta cooking water to get the sauce to the creamy consistency you desire, and don’t worry about the raw eggs as the heat from the pasta, pasta water, and brussels sprouts will cook them through. Just want to emphasize one more time that the skillet should be off the heat so you get a silky, creamy egg sauce — not scrambled eggs!
Swirl the spaghetti carbonara onto plates, top with more freshly grated parmesan cheese, if you please, then devour and enjoy this taste of Italy in the comfort of your own home!
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