Brussel Sprouts & Sun-Dried Tomato Spaghetti
I am a brussel sprouts lover.
As a kid when everyone was turning their nose up at brussel sprouts, asparagus, spinach and the like, I was always turning to see who had extra on their plates that I could steal. My mom tells a story that whenever she would make asparagus for us with dinner, I’d eat it all before it got to the table. The asparagus was for Cristen. No one else got any! I still like asparagus, but now as an adult I feel this way, multiplied, about brussel.
I find any way to incorporate them into meals. I saw a post from someone on instagram mentioning that they put brussel sprouts in their spaghetti and their kids love it and I thought I, TOO, WOULD LOVE IT. So I went a little further and decided to also add sun-dried tomato, spinach, onions, breadcrumbs and some other foods I also love.
I did not disappoint myself here with the creation of this recipe. This is deceivingly delicious and it will now definitely be a part of my regular meal-rotation.
I used whole wheat spaghetti, but you could also use brown rice spaghetti, quinoa spaghetti, white spaghetti or even a different type of pasta all-together. I can see Fusilli being good here too.
All you have to do is toast breadcrumbs, cook pasta, cook veggies, add some lemon & balsamic vinegar, make your simple sauce and voila! I simple, but delicious meal even you picky eaters should enjoy (if not, pass it my way, I’ll take it off your hands!)
Brussel Sprout & Sun-Dried Tomato Spaghetti
Ingredients:
- 1 package whole wheat or rice spaghetti
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp butter (omit and use more olive oil, if vegan)
- 2 cups brussels sprouts
- 1 cup spinach
- 1 tbsp lemon zest
- 1 lemon (juice)
- 1 yellow or white onion
- 1/2 cup breadcrumbs (or close to stale bread, reconstituted!)
- 6 cloves garlic
- 3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 3/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes
- red pepper flakes (to taste)
- salt (to taste)
- pepper (to taste)
- dried oregano (to taste)
- dried basil (to taste)
- paprika (to taste)
- parmesan cheese (omit or use nutritional yeast, if vegan)
Instructions:
- Bring pot of water to a boil. Be sure to salt this water well. While this is coming to a boil, toast your breadcrumb by heating 1 tbsp of olive oil in pan on medium low. Add breadcrumbs, paprika, oregano, basil and salt, stirring until they are golden brown. Be very careful here, breadcrumbs go from toasted to burned very easily! Set aside.
- Cook spaghetti to al dente. While this is cooking, chop onions and chop or shred brussels sprouts to small pieces. Chop garlic & grate about lemon zest. Brussels would be good shredded, but I just cut mine finely. Heat the same pan from earlier to medium heat. Add 2 tbsp olive oil. Add onions and allow to sweat for a bit. Add brussels sprouts, garlic, red pepper flakes and salt. Add balsamic vinegar, lemon juice and lemon zest. Toss in sun dried tomatoes at the end.
- Once pasta is cooked, reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water. Add pasta to the pan with the brussels sprouts. Add the rest of the olive oil and the butter, if using. Add pasta cooking water a few tbsp at a time until the sauce reaches your desired consistency. Add spinach until just wilted. Mix toasted breadcrumbs and parmesan (or nutritional yeast) into the pasta and serve immediately!
