Whole Grain Spaghetti with Brussels Sprouts and Mushrooms

The stalks of Brussels Sprouts

made their appearance at the farm stand a couple of weeks ago. Because the weather here has been unusually

warm, Brussels Sprouts seemed a little out of season. But with the temperatures falling, it

was time to find something to do with them.

Let’s face it, Brussels Sprouts are a love-them-or-hate-them

vegetable. Nobody is on the fence about

them. Recently they seem to have surged in

popularity but I’ve never been sure this was about the sprouts themselves

or whether it was a reaction to the countless recipes that paired them with

bacon or roasted them in maple syrup or shredded them into Brussels Sprouts Two

Ways (see http://www.chewingthefat.us.com/2014/01/almonds-brussels-sprouts-hot-and-cold.html)

which is reason alone to head out to dinner

at Almond (1 Ocean Road, Bridgehampton NY Tel (631) 537-8885).

That recipe made me a convert to

these tiny cabbages. Wanting to see if I could expand my

repertoire, I poked around and lo and

behold, I came across a recipe that made them into a pasta sauce. Furthermore,

it was a vegetarian dish made even more

healthy by the use of Whole Grain Spaghetti.

This dish could even make

it onto Almond’s Meatless Monday menu!

But I could save myself a 100

mile drive from the city and make it at home.

Giada de Laurentiis...

Word has it, "she is one of the nicest

people you could ever meet".

Its creator is

Giada de Laurentis, the Food Channel Chef and resident expert on all things

semi-Italian. But surely the Brussels

Sprout, named for the country where they are grown in profusion, is not an

Italian staple. In doing some minor

research I discovered that this is indeed the case. Italy imports its sprouts from northern

Europe, where else? However, if you are

at all familiar with Italy and Italians, you will not be surprised to hear that

in one particular article on a website called Alimentipedia.it, that ‘not

withstanding their name, Cavolini di Bruxelles

appear to be of Italian origin and introduced to Belgium by Roman Legions.’ At any rate, aside from the Spaghetti, I don’t

think I’d called Giada’s recipe Italian but it is a wonderful Meatless Monday

entrée that just goes over a 30 minute timeframe start to finish. If you use a food processor fitted with the slicing

blade to slice the Brussels sprouts you can even cut that time down. The mushrooms, cheese, onions and garlic are

great with the sprouts. The crème

frâiche and vegetable stock give it some sauce and the lemon juice and zest

liven the dish up. You can make this

anytime now—especially after the first freeze. It’s said that Brussels Sprouts are sweeter

then. Here is the recipe:

Recipe

for Whole Grain Spaghetti with Brussels Sprouts and Mushrooms from Giada di Laurentiis.

Prep 15 mins. Total Time 35 mins.

Serves 4-6

stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft, 6 to 8 minutes.

2. Add the creme

fraiche, vegetable broth, lemon juice and lemon zest. Bring to a simmer and

stir until the mixture forms a creamy sauce, about 2 minutes. Stir in 2

teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper.

3. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain and place in a large serving bowl. Toss with 1/2 cup cheese.

Pour

the sauce over the pasta, add the almonds and toss until coated. Sprinkle with

the remaining cheese and serve.