Brussels Sprouts and Parmesan Pasta

Step 1

Cook the pasta. Heat a large stockpot of generously-salted water until boiling.  Add the pasta (about 5 minutes before you begin sautéing the Brussels, see below) and cook the pasta until it is 1 minute shy of al dente.

Step 2

Sauté the Brussels sprouts and garlic. Heat 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat.  Add the shredded Brussels sprouts and garlic, and season with salt and lots of black pepper.  Sauté for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Continue with step 3, or if the pasta is not yet ready, briefly remove the sauté pan from the burner until the pasta is ready to go.

Step 3

Toss the pasta. Once the pasta is ready, use a spider strainer to transfer the pasta into the sauté pan with the Brussels.  Add in the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, 1/2 cup of the starchy pasta water, and sprinkle the Parmesan evenly over the top of the pasta.  Remove the sauté pan from the heat.  Then toss the pasta with the Brussels and cheese for about 1 minute, or until the cheese has melted evenly into a silky sauce and the pasta is cooked to al dente.  If the sauce seems too dry, add in 1/4 cup of additional pasta water at a time until the right consistency is reached.

Step 4

Serve. Serve the pasta warm, garnished with lots of toasted pine nuts, and enjoy!