I was never fond of Brussel sprouts. I don’t recall eating them when I was growing up and I’ve always passed them by in the grocery store, never giving them a second look. Then suddenly, some years ago they appeared on every menu whether bistro, steak house or four star restaurant. So a few years ago while in San Francisco, we ordered roasted Brussel sprouts and what a revelation. I’ll have to say that anything roasted gets high marks from me. To top it off, the pancetta adds a nice crispy factor to this dish. If you’ve never tried pancetta, get to the store and buy some.
Remove the outer leaves, trim the stem ends and slice the Brussel sprouts in half.
Fried until crispy pancetta is the highlight in any dish you add it to.
Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Crispy Pancetta
Serves 4 as a side dish
Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds Brussel sprouts
4 ounces pancetta
Olive oil
salt and pepper
Preparation
Preheat oven to 400 degrees
Remove outer leaves from Brussel sprouts, trim stems and cut into halves.
On a large baking sheet or jelly roll pan, toss Brussel sprout halves with olive oil (just enough to lightly coat) and season with kosher salt and pepper.
Roast Brussel sprouts for approximately 20 minutes. Test to see if they are done. If they are not quite ready, roast for a few more minutes. Remove Brussel sprouts to a plate until ready to serve.
While the Brussel sprouts are roasting, dice pancetta and fry until crispy and browned. Drain on paper towels and set aside.
In a large skillet or sauté pan heat a teaspoon of olive oil or butter over medium heat. Add roasted Brussel sprouts and heat until warmed through. Add the pancetta, toss and serve.