Orecchiette with Roasted Brussels Sprouts

I have a confession to make, I love Brussels Sprouts. I know to most people they are on the bottom of their list of delicious vegetables, but that is in great part due to over cooking and bad recipes. Growing up I was always the only kid that would take seconds on the buttered Brussels sprouts that my mother made, they were yummy! I was fine when everyone else turned up their noses at my beloved vegetable, it just made more for me to enjoy. When my two sons were old enough for solid foods I was pretty sure that they would follow the suit of most kids and absolutely hate Brussels sprouts. So I didn't make a fuss, tossed some Brussels sprouts with olive oil, salt and pepper and roasted them in the oven. Much to my surprise my kids loved them! I have also been able to convince both my husband and father-in-law that Brussels sprouts can be part of a great meal when roasted and tossed with pasta. Roasting makes all the difference in the world, if you haven't tried preparing your vegetables this way, you really should. Given my love of roasted Brussels sprouts I was interested when the February/March issue of Taste of Home magazine had a recipe for Orecchiette with Roasted Brussels Sprouts, which sounded perfect for my family.

This recipe has 12 ingredients. It takes 45 minutes of prep and 10 minutes of cooking and makes 6 servings. I had no problems finding any of these ingredients at my local grocery store. I did chose to leave out the minced fresh parsley, my two boys aren't fans. Instead of white wine I used the dry sherry I already had in my fridge. The recipe doesn't specify whether to use salted or unsalted butter, but I almost always use unsalted, which is what I used in this recipe. The recipe calls for 3 3/4 cups of pasta, instead I used the full pound of pasta which I had purchased. Most important for success with this recipe is to make sure to turn the Brussels sprouts often to promote even roasting. It really does make a difference! I followed the remainder of the recipe as written.

I served this recipe when my in-laws were in town. I wasn't sure if my father-in-law would eat this dish since he pretty much hates Brussels sprouts. Luckily he ate the recipes without complaints (yay!). I loved the taste of the roasted Brussels sprouts, they were delicious! The leftovers heated up well the next day and this recipe made more than enough for a dinner for 6 people plus leftovers the next day. Overall, a very easy pasta recipe full of vegetables.

For the recipe go to Orecchiette with Roasted Brussels Sprouts.