"Try it you like it" Pasta with brussels sprouts and pancetta (or, shiitakes)

Ciao ragazzi.  As we move into autumn - and it DOES seem  at times that we are moving into it at breakneck speed - we confront veggies which we either have not seen for a while, or which we've seen, and ignored.  And so it goes, with a veggie that Annalena REALLY does not like very much:  brussels sprouts.

Now, you must understand that, in classic Italian cooking, there are no brussels sprouts.  Indeed, when Italians confronted them, they had no word for them.  So, ingenious as Annalena's people are, they are called "cavolini":  little cabbages.   So, growing up, Annalena did not experience them.  As a  young thing, she did have them at school:  overcooked, stinky versions:  the lot of many veggies and many students.

As she grew older,  Annalena DID find one way she liked these buggers:  shredded, mixed with granny smith apples, pecans, butter, and maple syrup.  As one person put it  "Oh.  You like brussels sprouts brittle.  "  Indeed, they had a point.  Well, Annalena tried.  And she keeps trying. If you are a seasonal cook, and you live in the Northeast, come October, you will have to deal with them, one way or the other.  At dinner last night, Annalena dealt with them by ignoring them on her plate, even though they were clearly cooked perfectly (bright green, firm but not too firm, a nice char on their cut surfaces).  The Guyman likes them much more, and rescued Annalena, as he often does. 

Well, a few weeks ago, a recipe surfaced that used brussels sprouts in combination with many things Annalena likes:  pancetta.  pasta.  cheese.  chili peppers.  rosemary.  Hmmm.  And she made it .  And it's good.  So, ragazzi, if you are looking for a new way to try these cavolini, this is for you.

Here's how we begin.  Note well, that the proportions given, are for two portions.  Scale up if you need to.    Here are the majority of our ingredients:

What you see is a half pound of busiate pasta.  Annalena's Sicilian amici will recognize this immediately.  She suggests that the rest of you look it up, together with Sicily's heirloom wheat.  It's fascinating.  What you also see is half of a red serrano pepper, sliced, six whole cloves of garlic, 8 ounces of sliced brussels sprouts, some pancetta, and pecorino romano cheese.  You MAY see the sprig of rosemary as well.  You will see it  further on.  Promesso.

You start by cutting that little brown edge of the sprout away, and then slicing them thinly, lengthwise.  As noted above, half a pound of these.  It won't take as long as you think it will.

If you are one who eats meat,  you now need 4 ounces of diced pancetta:

Annalena's pancetta was thinly sliced, in circles, but you will usually get pancetta in one slab.  And that's fine.  Small cubes work as well.   If you are avoiding meat, you can substitute 6-8 ounces of fresh shitake mushroom heads .  Save the stems to make a stock.

You are also going to want to peel six nice cloves of garlic (and you may not want to scale this up).  You will also need a large sprig of rosemary, some olive oil, a sliced hot pepper (Annalena used serrano.  Use a jalapeno if that's what you have.  If you have none, use half a teaspoon of red pepper flakes.

You begin by putting two tablespoons of olive oil in a big wide pot, and adding the pancetta, and the rosemary sprig.  Many people work under the assumption that, because the pancetta is fatty, you do not need to add any oil.  That will burn your bacon, every time ragazzi.  The olive oil will draw off more fat, and you can drain it if you like.  

In any event, as you cook this, you will see the white fat on the pancetta begin to go translucent.  When that happens, add the hot pepper, and the cloves of garlic

What you see here, is the pancetta and rosemary as the pancetta has crisped and the fat has come off.   That took about two minutes.  After you add the garlic and pepper, the pancetta will begin to brown, after about another two minutes. 

At this point, start bringing a pot of rapidly boiling, salted water, because you will be ready to add the pasta soon. 

Ok, so after you've cooked the garlic and the pepper for a while, add those slices brussels sprouts and about a quarter cup of water.  Press the slices of cavolini down on the metal to brown them a little.  Cook that way for a minute, stir them, and repeat.   You're looking for something like this:

And after about 5 minutes, you will have:

Cook your pasta, whatever type it may be, to just a little underdone.  While that pasta is cooking, you really should take the garlic cloves out.  You're not going to eat them, unless you're a true alium lover. 

When the pasta is ready, toss it into that pan, without the garlic.  Taste the pasta to see if it is at the texture you like, and when you're done, plate it up, and grate pecorino over it:

Annalena liked this so much,  she wanted to make it again.  And she will. 

Now, she made this before she sat to dinner last night and shunned plain brussels sprouts, so she's not there yet.  But progress is made in small steps.   So, make some progress ragazzi, and make some pasta while you're at it.  The season is nigh.