This one should come with a warning: it’s dangerously good.
You’ll want to eat every last bite in a single sitting. Honestly, I can’t wait for you to make this—I’ve been excited about it for months. And yes, it has green vegetables: brussels sprouts, one of the most verdant, vegetable-forward additions you can imagine.
If that doesn’t sound like health food, I don’t know what does.
I’m apparently in full breakfast-for-dinner mode (or dinner-for-breakfast?), which is a perfectly legitimate reason to enjoy pasta in the morning. Or anytime, really—because sometimes you just want pasta for breakfast and you do what you want.
When Eddie and I first married and he traveled a lot, I’d eat whatever I wanted for dinner—often wine, cheese and a movie that left me in tears. That period is when I made my very first carbonara. I was nervous about the raw egg at first, but the worry melted away the moment I tasted it.
So. Freaking. Good.
I wanted to put carbonara on everything after that. I even used to eat it for breakfast, which felt perfectly normal at the time. Maybe I was unintentionally carbonara-ing my life.
I had brussels carbonara on my mind for months and thought I’d seen the idea somewhere. After searching through past recipes, I realized Heidi made a version that inspired me. It felt like a sign—this needed to happen.
One of the best parts—aside from the piles of bacon and cheese—is that Eddie actually calls this a full meal. He’s a carnivore through and through and doesn’t demand chicken or steak on top; this dish satisfies him on its own. It’s also a one-pan wonder, so cleanup is a breeze.
And it’s one of those recipes that tastes especially good when eaten straight from the pan—perhaps at midnight. Oops.
Bacon, Egg and Brussels Carbonara
4
35 minutes
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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, boil water and cook the bucatini according to package instructions.
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Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Reserve about half the bacon fat in a bowl to use later and discard the rest. Add the brussels sprouts to the skillet with the pepper and cook 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and cook another minute, then transfer the brussels sprouts to a bowl.
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Whisk the eggs and grated parmesan together until smooth and lump-free.
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Return the reserved bacon fat to the skillet and warm over low heat. Add the cooked bucatini and toss to coat thoroughly in the fat. Remove the skillet from the heat, pour in the egg-and-parmesan mixture and stir quickly and constantly to form a creamy sauce, tossing for 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the cooked bacon and brussels sprouts, top with extra cheese, taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Serve immediately.
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(Note: because bacon is salty, I rarely add extra salt. Taste and adjust as needed.)
Notes
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P.S. Look at how thick and tube-y that bucatini is—pure deliciousness.