Cacio e Pepe Brussels Sprouts swaps out pasta for shredded Brussels sprouts in this low-carb take on the Italian classic.

Cacio e Pepe Brussels Sprouts
Cacio e pepe translates from Italian to “cheese and pepper” and traditionally is served as a pasta dish. In this lighter version, the pasta is swapped with shredded sprouts and tossed with a generous amount of grated cheese, black pepper, lemon, and even some toasted nuts for a nice little crunch.
This recipe is slightly adapted from Tieghan’s new cookbook, Half Baked Harvest Super Simple (affil link). Her cookbook is filled with the most gorgeous photos and mouthwatering recipes! This recipe called out to me because I love using shredded Brussels sprouts as a pasta swap with meat sauce, so I knew this would be good! Tieghan says this dish is also for the cheese lover who wants to love Brussels sprouts, but doesn’t . . . yet!
To save time, buying pre-shredded Brussels sprouts makes this dish come together in minutes. It’s a great side, or you can serve it as a main, alongside a fried egg. Mmmm!
How To Make
More Brussels Sprouts Recipes You Will Love:
- Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Butternut Squash
- Shredded Brussels Sprouts with Pancetta
- Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Shallots with Balsamic Glaze
- Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Cauliflower Soup
- Brussels Sprouts and Sausage Parsnip Spiralized Pasta
Cacio e Pepe Brussels Sprouts
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1½ teaspoons freshly ground pepper
- Crushed red pepper flakes
- 14 ounces shredded Brussels sprouts, see Note
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 1/4 cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 1/3 cup toasted hazelnuts or pecans, roughly chopped
Instructions
- In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the olive oil, pepper, and red pepper flakes together until toasted, 30 seconds to 1 minute.
- Add the Brussels sprouts and cook, without stirring, until they begin to soften, about 2 minutes.
- Season with the salt, and cook until the Brussels sprouts just begin to char, about 2 minutes.
- Remove the skillet from the heat and add the Parmesan, lemon zest, and hazelnuts.
- Serve warm, topped with more fresh Parmesan, if desired.