Sun-dried Tomato and Brussels Sprouts Carbonara

Hi. This is not a healthy post. In fact, it's a decidedly unhealthy post. But this week I had to get some blood work done, and apparently I've got such great cholesterol levels they warranted an exclamation point in my doctor's notes, so I've decided that for tonight my tastebuds are gonna beat my health sensibilities. Tonight, my friends, we make carbonara.



The first time I remember anybody around me eating carbonara was during my first time in NYC when I was 11. My dad took me along on a business trip. We went to see "Beauty and the Beast" on Broadway, and before that we got dinner at some Italian place, because I was the pickiest eater known to man at that time in my life, and I probably needed to find pasta with butter and parmesan cheese and possibly broccoli. Truth be told, I have no memory of my dinner from that evening, but I do remember my dad looking very pleased as the waiter came over, cracked an egg into a dish, mixed it up, mixed it into a hot pasta concoction, and placed the whole thing in front of my dad. I thought it was disgusting. My dad thought it was delicious.

Well, I'm no longer 11, and although I only experienced authentic, meaty carbonara on a couple of occasions before deciding to be a vegetarian, I know it's good. So's this. The sun-dried tomatoes add a flavor burst that, while not mimicking pancetta in flavor, gives a similar zingy effect. The egg and half-and-half are just as creamy as could be, and once you put parmesan in anything it gets 1000 times better, yeah? The brussels sprouts were more of an afterthought for me. I like putting veggies in my pasta for diversity of texture, and I thought this could be a nice change from the typical spinach and mushrooms.



Ingredients

• 1/2 lb brussels sprouts, washed, ends trimmed off
• 1 tbs butter + 1 tbs oil, or 2 tbs of one or the other
• 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 6 oz pasta of choice
• 1/4 cup diced sun-dried tomatoes (mine were dry, not oil-packed, but either will work)
• 2/3 cup half and half, cream, whole milk, or a combination (the consistency of the final sauce will be thicker the higher the fat content)
• 1 egg
• 2 tsp mustard
• 1 tsp dried basil
• dash garlic powder (optional)
• 2/3 cup parmesan cheese (fresh is best. if you don't have it, use whatcha got)
• salt and pepper to taste

Procedure

• Melt the oil and butter together in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for a minute or two until fragrant. 
• Place brussels sprouts into the pan, turn to low, and cover. Let cook for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until sprouts are crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. 



before



After

• While the sprouts are cooking, cook your pasta.
• Mix half and half, mustard, egg, and a dash of salt and pepper together
• When the pasta is done, drain (but don't rinse!) and add to the sprouts. Pour in the egg mixture and add in the basil, tomatoes, and cheese. Cook over low heat, stirring, until the mix comes together (about a minute). Eating undercooked eggs is scary. Eating pasta with scrambled eggs is not the goal. Use your best judgement. Taste and add salt and pepper and/or more cheese as needed. Serve and enjoy.