Roasted Brussels Sprouts & Corn Cacio e Pepe
I’m a big advocate for that “taste-as-you-go” style of cooking. To know the best expression of every ingredient, it’s important to taste every ingredient. I usually don’t get carried away, but with these two dishes I lost all self control and just couldn’t stop nibbling.
Vegetables are a key part of Thanksgiving dinner, but that doesn’t mean you have to settle for green bean casserole. Roasted Brussels Sprouts are golden on the outside, crisp and tender on the inside, and feature a roasty sweetness. They’re topped off with a drizzle of brown butter and toasted slivered almonds.
And if you budget yourself an extra ten minutes, you can turn a can or bag of corn into something special, like Corn Cacio e Pepe. The sharpness of parmesan balances perfectly with sweet white and yellow corn. I started with a Bon Appétit recipe and modified from there. As a bonus, I used a veggie pasta to classify this as a (maybe?) slightly healthier choice.
For Corn Cacio e Pepe:
Fill a medium pot with salted water and bring to a boil. Add 12–16 oz. pasta (depending on size) and cook until barely al dente. Reserve 1 cup pasta water. I used vegetable radiatore pasta for extra color and flavor.
While pasta cooks, combine the following in a bowl and stir until it becomes a thin paste:
1½ cup freshly grated parmesan
1 tsp. black pepper
¼ cup cold water
Drain the pasta, reserving pasta water, and add back to pot over low heat. Add 2–3 cups of corn and the parmesan paste. Stir until well combined.
Slowly add reserved pasta water, ¼ cup at a time, until a thin sauce forms and sticks to the pasta. You’ll probably only use ¼–½ cup of this additional water.
Serve pasta in a big bowl with more grated parmesan and freshly cracked black pepper on top.
Challenge yourself with handmade pasta. Start simply with this recipe and Q&A.
Looking for more side dishes to fill out your table? Try my recipe for Ricotta Truffle Potatoes & Stuffing.
For Roasted Brussels Sprouts:
Chop brussels sprouts into twos or threes (depending on size) and combine the following in a bowl:
1-2 lbs. whole brussels sprouts
1 Tbsp. olive oil
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. black pepper
Roast at 400ºF for 25-30 minutes, gently tossing halfway through. The sprouts should have lots of golden brown color, with thinner outside leaves crisping and turning a darker brown color.
While roasting, add ¼–½ cup slivered almonds to a hot skillet. Toast for 6-8 minutes until golden and fragrant, tossing often.
And while all of that is happening, melt about 4 Tbsp. butter in a saucepan. Once melted, turn the heat to low and set sizzle and bubble for 3-4 minutes. Once the butter starts to turn a golden brown color, watch carefully and remove from heat before burning. Pour into a bowl, straining out solids (these are the separated milk solids).
Combine everything in a serving bowl and enjoy.