This recipe should come with a warning: it’s dangerously delicious.
Trust me—you’ll want to lick the plate clean and finish every last bite in one sitting.
I can’t wait for you to make this. I’ve been eagerly waiting to share it. And yes, it includes green vegetables: Brussels sprouts, one of the most unmistakably veggie-forward vegetables out there.
If that doesn’t qualify as health food, I don’t know what does.
I’m in a breakfast-for-dinner mood lately—or maybe this is dinner-for-breakfast? Either way, it’s a perfect excuse to have pasta in the morning. But really, you can make this any time because sometimes you just want pasta and you do what you want.
When Eddie and I first got married and he traveled a lot, I used to eat whatever I wanted—wine, cheese, and the occasional tearful chick flick. It was around then that I made carbonara for the first time. I was nervous about the raw egg, but the worry disappeared with the first bite.
So. Freaking. Good.
I wanted to carbonara everything after that—carbonara my life, basically. Back then I even ate carbonara for breakfast more often than I probably should have.
I’ve had a Brussels-sprouts carbonara idea on my mind for months. I thought I’d seen the concept somewhere, and after digging through recipe archives I discovered Heidi from FoodieCrush had already made a version last year. Of course—she’s one of my favorites and a definite inspiration.
I knew I had to make it happen.
Perhaps the best part—besides the generous amounts of bacon and cheese—is that Eddie actually considers this a full meal. He’s a carnivore who usually expects a pile of chicken or steak, but this one-pot dish satisfies him without extra protein.
Another perk: it tastes incredible when eaten standing over the pot with a fork. Midnight snack, anyone?
Bacon, Egg and Brussels Carbonara
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Ingredients
- 12 slices thick-cut bacon, chopped
- 2 cups brussels sprouts, stems removed and coarsely chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 pound bucatini
- 3 large eggs
- 1 1/2 cups freshly grated parmesan cheese, plus extra for topping
- extra salt + pepper for taste, if needed
Instructions
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Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add the bacon. Cook until fully crispy and the fat is rendered. While the bacon cooks, bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the bucatini according to package instructions.
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Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Spoon out about half of the bacon fat into a bowl and set aside for later. Add the Brussels sprouts to the skillet with the black pepper and stir to coat. Cook for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender and lightly charred. Add the garlic and cook another minute. Remove the sprouts to a bowl and set aside.
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In a bowl, whisk the eggs with the grated parmesan until smooth and lump-free.
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Return the reserved bacon fat to the skillet over low heat. Add the drained bucatini to the skillet and toss to coat the pasta thoroughly in the fat. Remove the skillet from the heat and quickly pour in the egg-parmesan mixture, stirring constantly to create a silky, creamy sauce—toss and stir for 3 to 4 minutes until the sauce clings to the pasta. Fold in the cooked bacon and Brussels sprouts, top with extra parmesan, and adjust seasoning if needed. Serve immediately.
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Note: Because bacon is salty, I rarely add extra salt. Taste and season as needed based on the bacon you use.
Notes
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P.S. Check out how thick, tubular, and irresistible that pasta looks.