Brussels Sprouts and Pasta Special

A sprout is not just for Christmas

When it comes to food, our director, Natalia, is the total opposite of her husband (Stanlake Park’s winemaker), Nico.   Whilst Nico eats anything with a pulse, Natalia is a vegetarian and unbelievably (to me) one of her favourite vegetables is Brussels sprouts.  In fact, I have witnessed her eating a plateful of sprouts for lunch!  Apart from for Christmas dinner, I’m not a fan of boiled sprouts but thankfully there are recipes out there which make the humble sprout a tasty treat – like my Brussels Sprouts and Pasta Special.

The big question is which of Stanlake Park wines to pair with today’s recipe? In keeping with our vegetarian theme, did you know that all of Stanlake wines are vegan and contain no animal-derived by-products?  The majority of Stanlake wines would be suitable for this dish but I have chosen Regatta.  It’s a very versatile wine with flavours of fresh fruit (peach, lime) and hints of Mediterranean herbs.   It’s a perfect accompaniment to the following fresh tasting pasta dish.

This is a pasta recipe I often cook when presented with sprouts. Even Nico has to like this one! It’s such a simple, tasty dish with different textures and best of all, very little washing up involved.  With this in mind, it means you have time to open another bottle of Regatta to finish off a really enjoyable meal. Even non-vegetarians like myself will enjoy this dish and it is a great way to use up those leftover sprouts.

Brussels Sprouts Pasta – Ingredients (serves 2)

• 45 ml / 3 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, finely grated 
• 250 g / 9 oz brussels sprouts
• salt and black pepper, to taste
• 200 g / 7 oz spaghetti 
• a good pinch of chilli flakes, more to taste (optional)
• 2 tbsp fine breadcrumbs
• juice of ½ lemon, plus zest of whole unwaxed lemon
• ¼-½ tsp mild smoked paprika
• chopped parsley and roasted walnuts, to garnish

Method (prep time 15 mins, cooking 20 mins)

1. Put 2 tbsp of olive oil and 2 grated garlic cloves in a small bowl. Set aside to infuse.
2. Preheat the oven to 200° C (gas mark 4) and grab a large baking tray. Grease it lightly with olive oil if you wish, but there is no need to line it with paper.
3. Clean your brussels sprouts (I tend to take the outer leaves off if they are gnarled and cut the very end of the stem off) and slice each sprout into 2 to 3 slices depending on the size 
4.  Coat sliced sprouts in 1 tbsp of olive oil, spread on the baking tray making sure the slices overlap as little as possible. Season with salt and pepper and allow them to roast for about 15-20 minutes (until lightly charred in places), giving them a good stir after 10 minutes.
5. Cook the pasta al dente following the instructions on the packet, saving 60 ml / ¼ cup of cooking water just before you drain your pasta.
6. Heat up a heavy bottom frying pan on low heat. Once hot, add in the garlic-infused oil and a pinch of chilli flakes (if using).
7. Gently cook the garlic for about 2 minutes, stirring the whole time, but do not allow it to brown as it will make your pasta taste bitter. If the garlic is sizzling too aggressively, turn the heat off (or take the pan off the heat if not using gas) and allow it to cook in the residual heat.
8. Add breadcrumbs and a good pinch of salt and allow them to cook in with the garlic oil for another minute or so.
9. Whisk enough pasta cooking water (you may not need all of it) to emulsify all the ingredients into a thick sauce. Season with lemon juice and then toss the drained pasta in the garlicky oil.
10. Season with lemon zest, smoked paprika, salt and pepper and stir in the roasted sprouts.
11. Divide between two plates, sprinkle with chopped parsley and roasted walnuts.

Hope you enjoy my Brussels Sprout Pasta special!

Grab some white wine now »