Orecchiette with Brussels Sprouts

THIS PASTA RECIPE puts tasty Brussels sprouts into their best light. The ingredients are few and the dish is very forgiving in its preparation. If you prefer a vegetarian dish, skip the bacon. There are many versions of the recipe; Food and Wine magazine inspired this one.

Brussels sprouts. The fresher the better. Use frozen sprouts in a pinch. Peel away coarse outer leaves and cut the stem close to the base of the sprout. Leave very small sprouts whole. For those larger than about 3/4", slice each sprout in half (or quarters) pole-to-pole.

Pasta. Ideally, use orecchiette (oh-reck-ee-ET-tay) which means roughly 'little ears'. Their bowl-shape nicely holds the nuts and sprouts. Good substitutes are fusilli or conchiglie.

Nuts. Choose from walnuts, hazelnuts, or pecans. Get extra flavor from hazelnuts by first roasting for a few minutes on a shallow dish in the oven or in a stovetop pan. Whichever nuts you use, chop them coarsely.

Total time 45-60 minutes. Serves 4.

SHOPPING LIST:
	Brussels sprouts Pasta Bacon or pancetta Walnuts, hazelnuts or pecans Chicken stock Parmesan cheese Parsley
Cook the Brussels sprouts
	In pasta pot, cook until crisp-tender (about 5 minutes) in 3-4 quarts boiling, lightly salted water; then remove with slotted spoon, pat dry with paper towels and set aside	1 pound (16 oz) Brussels sprouts (see above)
Prepare pasta       14 to 16 oz pasta Cook ALMOST to al dente in at least 4 quarts boiling, salted water (follow package directions)
While pasta is cooking, prepare the sauce
1	In a non-stick sauté pan large enough to combine pasta and sprouts, cook over medium heat until bacon is slightly crisp (5-6 minutes); then remove, drain on paper towels and set aside	3-4 slices bacon or pancetta, diced to 1/4" (thick-cut preferred)
2	Leaving about 1 T bacon fat in pan, add	3 tablespoons unsalted butter Optional: sprinkling of chile flakes
3	Stir in and heat gently for 2-3 minutes	cooked Brussels sprouts from above 1/2 cup (4 oz) nuts, chopped (see above)
4	Add and simmer 2-3 minutes while stirring	cooked pasta from above about 1/2 cup (4 oz) chicken stock, heated
5	Stir in and toss well	1/2 cup (4 oz) Parmesan cheese, grated Salt and ground black pepper
6	Sprinkle over pasta/sprouts either in sauté pan or in separate serving dish	cooked bacon from above
Garnish servings
Pass around fresh grated Parmesan cheese Sprinkle servings with chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley