With its roots in humble Italian cuisine, this dish brings comfort and warmth to the cold winter months. Abundant winter vegetables unite to thaw the ice and unburden the soul with rustic comfort food. Their flavors seem to float upon an endless and invisible current of warmth and hearth in which I merely have to dip my spoon to feel at home. The starch and cheese, tempered by elements of the wholesome, bid me near as trudging through slush becomes the new normal.
The Brussels sprouts and turnips can actually endure the same boil as the pasta so they begin their journey together, becoming fast friends in a single steaming bath. After about ten minutes, they exit the pot. Fresh, hand-pressed ricotta and Gruyère cheese melt their way into the mosaic covering the mixture like a warm blanket. Sage and garlic-infused oil provides the distinct, earthy boost of its perfume. Top with fresh grated Parmesan cheese to achieve a crisp, golden crust over a textured, sturdy dish that is built to last.
The three qualities of rich cheeses, fresh herbs and vegetables elevate this typical peasant fare into a gourmet indulgence, but the timeless heartiness of the ingredients earn this dish lifetime tenure in the comfort zone. It had me scooping directly into the pan and coming up with heaps upon heaps of perfect spoonfuls.
Adapted from “Nigellissima: Easy Italian-Inspired Recipes,” by Nigella Lawson
Ingredients:
- 1 3/4 pound Brussels ls sprouts, trimmed and halved
- 2 medium sized turnips, diced into 1 inch pieces
- 1 pound whole wheat penne
- Salt, to taste
- 1/2 cup hand pressed ricotta
- 8 ounces Gruyère, diced into 1/2-inch pieces
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 garlic clove, minced
- 4 sage leaves, shredded
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
Directions:
Heat oven to 400 degrees. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt the water generously, then add brussels sprouts, potato and pasta, and let water come back to a boil. Cook for about 8 to 10 minutes, or until potato is tender and pasta is al dente. Just before draining, remove 2 cups of the cooking liquid and set aside.
Just saw this on the nytimes website and looks delicious! Brussel sprouts (hated so much as a child) have become one of my loves in recent years. Although I would love to add some pancetta to this. Or chorizo.
Yes! Chorizo would add a really good flavor to it. I actually didn’t want to do that yet because I’m going to be one of the people in conversation with Nigella! I can’t wait to ask her some questions. I haven’t really told anyone yet in case I make a fool of myself. Thanks for your comment!
That’s incredible!! And I’m sure you won’t make a fool out of yourself, don’t be silly. But wow. Nigella is my mother’s favorite cookbook author. And I loved watching her show growing up. I find her to be an inspiration to home cooks everywhere.
Aw thanks! Yeah it’s pretty cool. She’s a big inspiration of mine too in terms of picking ingredients and of being unapologetic about being a little frenzied in the kitchen. Once a night in my kitchen you’ll usually hear a big bang and me cursing, but having no time to deal with the mess b/c everything else is time-sensitive. I’ll definitely do a follow up post if all goes well!
this sounds totally delicious! i can imagine myself making this with gluten free pasta in my very near future!
So worth it!
This would have to be a meal for one otherwise I would be facing divorce! I love brussels sprouts.
Ha! We both actually discovered how much we love them using this recipe!
Very impressive to not only see you in the New York Times, but with Nigella no less. And even more impressive that she liked your retweaking of her recipe by remarking how she’s going to “steal” your idea of using parsnip.
Thanks, Xio! It was such a fun experience chatting with Nigella on the Times. It’s a bit of a dream come true. I love how she said that I accidentally made it more English!
Thank you for visiting my blog and for liking my post. Your blog is so fresh and inviting. I love the photos and I love the salads!!!