This Brussels Sprouts Carbonara recipe combines a few of my favorite things – caramelized shredded brussels sprouts, pasta, and pancetta in a creamy sauce that cooks in about 15 minutes.
Brussels Sprouts Carbonara
Brussels Sprouts CarbonaraThis Brussels Sprouts Carbonara is a twist on the classic but with extra veggies. The shallot, garlic, and brussels sprouts are sautéed with the pancetta. Then, the egg, cheese, and pasta water are slowly added to make a creamy carbonara sauce. If you’d like to try my take on traditional carbonara, check out my Spaghetti Carbonara with a poached egg. And for more of my favorite super quick pasta dishes, try my Spaghetti with Sautéed Chicken and Grape Tomatoes and Pasta with Roasted Broccoli with Garlic and Oil.
This Brussels Sprouts Carbonara was a hit in my house. It is so simple to make and tastes great! You can finely slice the sprouts or buy them pre-shredded or use the slicing disk on your food processor to save time. This carbonara recipe cooks quickly, so it’s perfect for a busy weeknight.
Are brussels sprouts good for you?
Yes, brussels sprouts are good for you. I. love cooking with them because they not only taste delicious but also have tons of health benefits. Brussels sprouts are low in carbs and calories but high in fiber, which means they will keep you full longer. They are also rich in antioxidants, vitamins K and C, and folate.
Brussels Sprouts Carbonara Variations & Tips:
- Swap the fusilli for orecchiette, rotini, or penne.
- Use gluten-free pasta instead of regular.
- Sub bacon for pancetta.
- Add grilled chicken for some extra protein.
- To make a vegetarian carbonara, omit the pancetta and sauté the vegetables in one tablespoon of olive oil.
- Swap the brussels sprouts for chopped asparagus.
- Buy pre-shredded brussels sprouts to save time. Or use the slicing disk on your food processor to quickly shave the sprouts.
- Top the carbonara with crushed red pepper for some extra spice.
- This recipe serves six, but you can easily halve it to serve three if you don’t want to make as much.
How To Make Brussels Sprouts Carbonara
More Quick and Easy Simple Pasta Recipes:
- One Pot Spaghetti and Meat Sauce (Stove Top)
- Instant Pot Spaghetti and Meat Sauce
- Summer Cavatelli with Corn, Tomatoes and Zucchini
- Orecchiette Pasta with Chicken Sausage and Broccoli
- Angel Hair Pasta with Zucchini and Tomatoes
Brussels Sprouts Carbonara
Ingredients
- 2 large eggs
- 3/4 cups parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup loosely packed basil, chopped
- 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes, optional
- 12 oz Delallo fusilli, gluten-free or wheat
- 3 oz diced pancetta
- 2 cloves crushed garlic
- 1/4 cup chopped shallots
- 10 oz brussels sprouts, shredded
- kosher salt
- fresh black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Whisk eggs, 1/2 cup of the cheese, basil and crushed red pepper if using; set aside.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for the pasta.
- In a large deep nonstick skillet, saute pancetta and shallots about 3 minutes, add the garlic and saute another minute.
- Add the shredded brussels sprouts, and black pepper and saute another 8 -10 minutes, until slightly caramelized. Remove from heat.
- Meanwhile cook pasta al dente according to package directions.
- Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water just before draining, then drain and add to the skillet and mix well with brussels sprouts.
- Slowly, a tablespoon at a time, add 1/4 cup of the water to the egg mixture and mix well, slowly add to pasta stirring well, add additional reserved pasta water 1/4 cup at a time as needed, stirring and finish with the remaining 1/4 cup cheese. Serve right away.
Last Step:
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So. Dang. Good!!! I didn’t change a thing. My mom said she felt like we were at a fancy Italian restaurant.
For all those concerned about “raw egg”, tempering the eggs with the nearly-boiling pasta water cooks them. No raw eggs.
What should you be using to sauté the shallots and garlic? The recipe doesn’t state. Adding butter or oil will add calories.
The fat renders from the pancetta
I followed this recipe exactly (except I used regular fusilli instead of gluten-free/wheat) and it was so delicious, my bf couldn’t stop eating it and was excited for leftovers the next day when he usually isn’t. I have made many a carbonara but tempering the egg mixture w/ the pasta water was new and made for a great sauce.
Would broccoli slaw work? My grocer is constantly out of shaved Brussels and I need the time hack!
Cabbage would be s good substitute for the brussels sprouts. They both come from the Brassica family of vegetables.
The sprouts even look like baby heads of cabbage!
Very easy. Delicious! Will make again for sure.
Very easy quick and delicious!
This was very good. I modified a bit in cooking for a vegetarian, and using what I had on hand (Asparagus instead of sprouts). Super easy, and going in the rotation. Very flexible recipe!
I absolutely love this recipe but now I’m pregnant and can’t consume raw egg. Do you think it’ll be fine if I just omit the egg altogether? Is there an alternative? I know that’s a silly question since this is carbonara but I’d love to still make this! Thanks!
I don’t know of any alternatives for this unfortunately.
michelle, i make a similar dish and i just leave it on the stovetop for a minute or two to cook the egg. (just because i don’t like eating eggs raw. 🙂
I made this last week and I am making it again for company tonight. It is so simple and easy to make but taste great! I recommend you add the crushed red peppers!
So delicious!!!! Made it twice in the last 2 weeks 🙂
I made this last night, and the texture seemed almost mushy and gummy. I used GF pasta so I’m not sure if that has to do with it. Do you have any suggestions of what I could do different? Or what may have caused the gumminess?
Any idea how many freestyle points this might be? Thanks!
10
If you substitute the pancetta for turkey bacon, what would the total smart points be for the meal? Thank you!!
Sorry, I don’t have that handy!
So delicious! I followed the recipe al,oat excactly, just with a little more pasta, basil and cheese. Delicious! Also a plus with gluten free pasta, I cM have Mom over for dinner 🙂
I’ve made this recipe a few different times. My biggest problem with it is that it doesn’t end up being very low cal for me since I can’t stop at one serving. It is so yummy! I think that the most I’ve managed to squeeze out of this is 4 servings. Obsessed with this right now.
🙂
I made this for supper last night, and both my husband and I thought it was quite good. He thought it needed to be “saucier”, so I added some more pasta water to the leftovers, and also sprinkled some slivered almonds on top for a little crunch. I love a little heat, and appreciated the crushed red peppers.
Made this tonight and it was fantastic! Used pre-shredded Brussels Sprouts which saved some time after a long day at work. Thanks again Gina for another great recipe!
This is so yummy, it's part of our "heavy rotation" for dinner. Can't wait for the SP values!
Love this dish. So delicious! Will definitely be making it again.
One of our favorites. Very good. If you don't have pancetta, you can sub ham or bacon. I've had to do that on occasion.
I made this and deviated from the recipe:
– Used finely chopped broccoli instead of brussel sprouts which I would only recommend if you like broccoli since broccoli tends to have a bit more flavor than other veggies.
– Used bacon instead of pancetta – wasn't as salty so I'd try to make it with pancetta next time
– Added about 1/4 water to the saute mixture instead of the egg mixture (this was on accident)
– Added the egg mixture into the saute + water with the heat still on – I was a bit concerned about the eggs being raw so I let it all simmer for a bit, until it got thick.
Overall, the recipe is awesome, even with my small changes!
I made this tonight. It is incredible!
Had for dinner last night – delicious ! Thanks for sharing your wonderful recipes. I have yet to be disappointed 🙂
Delicious recipe! I don't eat pork, so I substituted mushrooms. Yum!
It's like a grown-up (way more delicious) hamburger helper! I absolutely love it. I added chicken, and can't wait for leftovers tomorrow!
i just poured out my pasta water:(…can I use tap water?
I will definitely try this again but omit the red pepper flakes, I don't feel it was needed. This is a very filling dish, especially with the pasta and brussel sprouts.
Can you substitute zucchini for Brussels sprouts?
Love this! I tried it yesterday but sadly my supermarket had no sprouts. i used ordinary mushrooms instead and it was simply fabulous! will definetly try again when they stock up on sprouts again but i know it will be great. thank you for this great recipe!
Made this for dinner tonight and my 2-year old asked for seconds! So good.
Made this for dinner last night and the family loved it! Was looking for a pasta recipe without red sauce and this hit the spot. Love your recipes – thanks!
This might be a silly question but do I need to worry about the raw egg going in? Since the mixture is off the heat I'm worried about it not getting cooked… Thanks!!
I kind of worry about that too – particularly for leftovers.
So, I made this last night. It was delicious!! And my concerns about the egg went right out the window. It's so diluted and then once its mixed with the pasta and Brussels sprouts I don't think there's any reason to worry.
Oh My God : Perfect Guide for a Great Carbonara ( I Wait the Moment of Lunch… ). Congratulations , ByeBye & Lots of Love !!!
This is probably a stupid question, but I have a big bag of frozen Brussels sprouts. Can I just de-thaw them and use them for this recipe? It looks awesome!!
Sure, but fresh would probably taste better.
I just happened to have most of the ingredients on hand, so I made this tonight. Took the brussel sprouts outta the fridge, and they didn't look so good. (kinda brown). I happened to have snow peas, so I sliced em thin, and they made an excellent substitute! Also, when I started adding the egg mixture to the pan, it looked more like scrambled eggs, so I added more of the pasta water to the mix before adding any more to the pan (about another 1/4 cup). That seemed to smooth it out. The package of gf pasta that I had was only 8 oz, and as much as my husband loves bacon, but I was worried there wouldn't be enough substance for this dish, so I added grilled chicken breast. My husband and I really enjoyed this dish, and we're both excited to have leftovers for lunch tomorrow! (with less pasta per serving, it ended up as 10pp per 1 1/4 cup serving. I calculated the chicken breast separately)
That looks amazing. Not the biggest fan of brussels sprouts but i'd eat that without questions =D
Yay!! More Brussels sprouts recipes!!! I can't wait to try this one!
How does one shred brussel sprouts – I'm new to cooking. Thanks! This looks delicious
Trim stem off and cute in half. Lay flat side down and use a knife to shred them thin.
Looks great!! Any advice on a good substitute for pancetta to make this vegetarian?
Leave it out and saute in olive oil.
How much olive oil? 1 TBS enough?
Mabye try some mushrooms. Diced portobellos would be a good 'meaty' substitute, or even baby bellas to give the brussels sprouts some balance with the pasta.
Looks amazing — been waiting for a recipe like this — but 9 points! wow — I hate to "waste" that many — I guess it's a main dish, but still – ouch. I may have to make it without the pasta. Have you tried Creamette Quick Cook in 3 minutes pasta? It's 5 points for 3/4 cup dry pasta. It makes quite a large serving.
Try it! You'll be glad you spent the points. Just budget for it throughout the day. Totally doable!
Would using 'egg whites only' be an option? Or one whole egg + one egg white?
Thank you!
You really need the whole egg for the carbonara.
The traditional Italian recipe only uses the yolks.
Do you have any suggestions for brussel sprout substitutes?! Any other veggies that would work well? Thanks!!
Could you use spaghetti squash instead of pasta? Do you know how that would change the points?
Thanks for the great recipes!!! Any idea how many WW points this would be without the pancetta? It sounds delicious as is, but I don't eat meat.
8 points, but you would have to add about 1 tbsp of oil.
Looks fabulous! Wondering if any other vegetable would also work here besides brussel sprouts?
I make this with asparagus too!
I'm going to make this without the pasta, sounds great
This looks delicious! I love cooking with shredded brussels sprouts. Can you provide an estimate of about how 10 oz. of shredded sprouts measures up in volume – like maybe 2 cups? Thanks for another great recipe!
I'm not sure, it was a whole package of sprouts if that helps! 2 cups might be right, but I'd be guessing.
Wow, finally a recipe that will help me cook brussels sprout that my kids are also going to love!
Looks very delicious, i will make it at home soon.