This pasta dish combines two ingredients that shine during winter and which work brilliantly together: Brussels sprouts and pancetta.
While many of us grew up thinking Brussels sprouts were just for Christmas dinner, they’re actually perfect for quick weeknight meals like this. Slicing them thinly helps them cook faster and gives them lovely crispy edges when they hit the hot pan. The pancetta adds a rich saltiness and renders its fat during cooking, which then helps to crisp up those sprouts.
What makes this recipe particularly good is how the pasta water, butter and Parmesan come together to make a proper sauce – not too rich, but just enough to coat everything nicely. The touch of chilli gives it a bit of warmth without overpowering the other flavours, while the lemon zest at the end brightens the whole thing up.
It’s the sort of dinner you can have ready in about 25 minutes, and you won’t need to trek to any special shops for the ingredients. Most supermarkets stock pancetta these days, but if you can’t find it, regular smoked bacon lardons will do the job just fine.
I often make this on dark winter evenings when I want something warming but don’t fancy spending ages in the kitchen. It’s become a regular in our house through the colder months. The amount here serves two people generously, but you can easily scale it up if you’re feeding more. Just make sure to use a pan big enough to give everything space to brown properly – nobody wants steamed sprouts when they could be crispy.
Christmas Pasta with Brussels Sprouts and Pancetta
Ingredients
- 170g rigatoni pasta
- 95g pancetta, cubed
- 225g Brussels sprouts, thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon garlic-infused olive oil
- 1 teaspoon red chilli flakes
- 60g Parmesan cheese, freshly grated, plus extra for serving
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- Zest of ½ lemon
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Directions
- Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Cook the rigatoni according to package instructions until al dente. Before draining, reserve ½ cup of pasta cooking water.
- While the pasta cooks, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the cubed pancetta and cook until crispy, about 4-5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the pancetta to a plate, leaving the rendered fat in the pan.
- Add the garlic-infused olive oil to the same pan. Add the sliced Brussels sprouts and cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender and lightly browned. Add the chilli flakes and cook for an additional minute.
- Return the crispy pancetta to the pan and stir to combine with the Brussels sprouts. Add the cooked pasta, butter, and grated Parmesan cheese. Toss everything together, gradually adding the reserved pasta water as needed to create a silky sauce.
- Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Finish with lemon zest. Serve immediately, topped with additional grated Parmesan cheese.
