Christmas Pasta

• 1 Pack of Tagliatelle
• 1 Pack (250g) of smoked Bacon Lardons
• 2 Onions
• 3 Cloves of Garlic
• 500 g of Brussel Sprouts
• Creme Fraiche
• 150 ml of White Wine
• 250g Brown Button Mushrooms
• 100 g Feta Cheese
• Kitchen Staples: Sugar, Salt & Pepper

Who says Christmas Dinner needs to be Turkey, Roast Potatoes and Gravy every year?

Here is a nice alternative to the “usual” and a funky way of using brussel sprouts in a way that brings out their beautiful flavour – instead of treating it like a necessity that noone actually enjoys.

And the best thing is: It’s done in well under half an hour and still tastes absolutely amazing.

1. Bring water to the boil in a large pot. Set out your plates on the side.

2. While you wait for the water to boil, prep your vegetables: peel and slice the onions, gently rub any dirt off your mushrooms (do not wash them) and quarter them, dice your garlic and quarter your brussel sprouts with a sharp knife.

If you’ve bought brussel sprouts from a market, they might be a bit dirty, so cut the bottom with a sharp knife and remove some of the outer leaves.

3. Put a large frying pan on the stove and add two tablespoons of sugar to it. Add half of the white wine and bring it to the boil until you have a syrup consistency.

At this point add your onions and the garlic and reduce the heat a little bit.

4. Check your pasta water, add salt and then add your pasta and set your timer to the time indicated on the package (mine is ten minutes).

5. Stir your onions and when they are golden brown, add the bacon.

6. Fry the onions and the bacon, then add the rest of the vegetables, the rosemary and the remaining wine.

7. Simmer everything for roughly 4-5 minutes. Your mushrooms should be cooked, but the brussel sprouts should have a bit of bite to it. Season your dish with salt and pepper.

8. Check your pasta, put it through a sieve and divide it on the plates.

9. Adjust seasoning if necessary and the pot of crème fraiche to your pan and take it off the heat.

10. Stir everything thoroughly and divide the portions on the plates.

11. Crumble some feta cheese on top. If you don’t like feta, you can use parmesan.

Tipp: This dish works fully vegan. This way, replace the bacon with smoked tofu and the crème fraiche with “Oatly crème fraiche”. If you’re a coeliac, simply use gluten free pasta and maybe a little bit more liquid, such as crème fraiche or a bit of cream.

Ps. If you’re enjoying my blog, you can buy me a coffee on Ko-Fi.