Brussels sprouts love a whisper of lemon, which is what the zest provides in this combo. The ricotta becomes creamy when you add a small amount of cooking water from the pasta to it, but you have to serve this right away or the ricotta will stiffen up again. I used gluten free Le Veneziane fettucine made with cornmeal, and thought the color and texture were very good. It only took 5 to 6 minutes to cook.
Ingredients
- ¾ pound Brussels sprouts (about 16)
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- ½ cup ricotta
- 1 garlic clove, mashed with a pinch of salt in a mortar and pestle or put through a press
- 2 teaspoons finely grated or chopped lemon zest (I use a microplane for this)
- 2 tablespoons minced chives or parsley, or a combination
- 1 ounce Parmesan, grated (1/4 cup)
- 12 ounces gluten-free fettucine (to taste), such as cornmeal fettucine
- Nutritional Information
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
544 calories; 14 grams fat; 4 grams saturated fat; 6 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 83 grams carbohydrates; 6 grams dietary fiber; 4 grams sugars; 22 grams protein; 20 milligrams cholesterol; 155 milligrams sodium
Note: Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available data.
Serves 4
Preparation
- Begin heating water for pasta.
- Trim bottoms of Brussels sprouts and quarter lengthwise or slice. Heat oil over high heat in a large, heavy skillet and add Brussels sprouts. Sear for about a minute without stirring, then turn the heat to medium-high, add salt and pepper to taste and stir or toss in the pan until tender and the edges are seared light brown, about 5 minutes. Some of the leaves will detach and get black, but don’t worry, you can discard them. Remove from heat and transfer to a bowl or plate.
- When water comes to a boil, salt generously and add pasta. While pasta is cooking, mix together ricotta, garlic, lemon zest and chives (or parsley and chives) in a large bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- When pasta is cooked al dente (see timing instructions on package but check a minute before indicated time), remove 1/4 cup of the pasta water. Mix 2 to 4 tablespoons with ricotta. It should have the consistency of cream. Add a little more water if it doesn’t. Drain the pasta and toss with Brussels sprouts, ricotta mixture and Parmesan. If pasta seems dry, toss with a little more of the cooking water or another tablespoon of olive oil. Serve at once.
- Advance preparation: There is not much advance work to do: it is pretty much a last minute dish.
About 20 minutes
Dining and Cooking