3 Cheese Brussels Sprouts and Pancetta Mac ‘n Cheese
This dish will make anyone eat their veggies! Brussels Sprouts Mac ‘n Cheese with Pancetta is Italian-American comfort food at its best. Creamy, cheesy and absolutely delicious for a holiday, a classic savory side dish or a weeknight dinner. The pungent combination of imported Provolone, Parmigiano-Reggiano and Taleggio are the perfect complement to the salty umami of the garlic and onion sautéed pancetta and Brussels sprouts.
Ingredients
- 1 pound of short pasta such as rotelle, shells, elbows, farfalle or cavatappi
- 8 ounces of cubed pancetta
- 1 1/2 pounds of shaved or thinly sliced Brussels Sprouts, ends trimmed
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 garlic cloves, minced 1/2 onion, diced
- Juice of 1/2 lemon plus 3/4 teaspoon of zest
- 2 tablespoons of balsamic glaze
- 4-5 tablespoons of all purpose flour
- 9 tablespoons of salted butter, divided
- 3/4 cup of chicken or vegetable stock
- 1 1/2- 2 cups of half and half 2 cups of freshly shredded provolone, divided
- 1 cup of coarsely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
- 7 ounce block of Taleggio
Instructions
- In a large frying pan over medium heat, melt 1 tablespoons of butter and sauté the onion and garlic until the onion is translucent. Add the pancetta and sauté for a few minutes until it is browned. Remove from heat and with a slotted spoon, remove the pancetta and set aside, retaining the fat in the frying pain.
- Over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons of better followed by the Brussels Sprouts to the frying pan the pancetta was in sauté then until they are fork tender and browned. Combine the pancetta and Brussels Sprouts and sauté for about 1-2 minutes. Add the lemon juice and zest and mix well. Add the balsamic glaze and stir well until fully incorporated. Shut heat. immediately.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until 2 minutes short of al dente. Drain and set aside.
- Separately, in a large heavy bottomed or cast iron pan, make the roux by melting 6 tablespoons of butter and the flour over medium heat. Whisk vigorously to combine. Cook, whisking often, for 2-3 minutes. At this point, the mixture should look smooth and the raw flour taste should no longer be apparent.
- Slowly pour in the half and half, while whisking continuously until combined and smooth. Continue to cook over medium heat, constantly whisking, until thickened. Once thickened to a smooth texture, remove from heat.
- Stir in all the cheese until melted. If it doesn’t fully melt, return the pan to the stove on very low heat to melt it. At this point, add salt and pepper to taste and adjust the seasoning to your liking.
- Fold in the pasta into the cheese mixture in the cast iron pan, followed by the Brussels Sprouts and Pancetta mixture. Slowly add the chicken or vegetable stock as needed, or more cheese as needed.
- Sprinkle the remaining cup of Provolone on top of the pasta. Place in oven for 10-20 minutes until bubbly around the edges and browned in spots on top.
- Serve!
