We love Brussels sprouts and cannellini beans so it was a perfect combination for us. We made a special trip to our favorite Italian market for imported orecchiette, or little ears.
*Remember to reserve 1 cup of the pasta cooking liquid before you drain the cooked pasta.
The recipe calls for using the liquid from the canned beans, but we drained and rinsed them. It called for navy beans, but we love cannellini beans, so used them. We also used grainy Dijon.
- 2 tsp vegetable oil
- 1/4 c Panko bread crumbs
- 2 tsps Dijon mustard
- pinch of cayenne pepper
- 1/8 tsp salt pls 1/2 tsp salt (not including the salt in the pasta water)
- 8 oz orecchiette pasts
- 2 slices of bacon or more, chopped fine
- 10 oz (at least) of Brussels sprouts (trimmed, halved, and sliced thin)
- 1 can of cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 T cider vinegar (you could use a flavored or infused white balsamic)
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1/3 c sour cream
Bring 2 quarts of water to a boil with some salt. While waiting for the water to boil, combine the oil, Panko, mustard, 1/8 tsp salt and cayenne pepper in a skillet large enough for the finished recipe.
Cook over high heat, stirring frequently, until Panko is golden brown, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl and let cool.
Cook pasta according to directions, or it fresh cook until a bit more than al dente.
At the same time cook the bacon in the skillet used above until crispy. Drain on paper towels. Crumble. Leave the fat in the skillet. Add Brussels sprouts and 1 T of pasta water and 1/2 tsp. salt. Stir, cover and cook about 4 minutes until sprouts are bright green. Stir in the beans, 1/4 cup of the pasta liquid and the vinegar and pepper.
Add the pasta to the sprouts mixture and the sour cream in the skillet. Stir and add more of the pasta water as you need. Season to taste. Divide among 4 bowls and sprinkle with the bread crumbs and bacon.
Drain pasta, reserving liquid.*
