Creamy Brussels Sprouts Orecchiette

Main Dish: Creamy Brussels Sprouts Orecchiette

Th is recipe is vegetarian. Serves 6

Ingredients for dish:

1½ pounds Brussels sprouts (look for smallto-medium sprouts, if available) Water for cooking pasta 1 tablespoon salt (optional) 2 cups orecchiette pasta 3–4 tablespoons olive oil 1½ tablespoons white wine vinegar Fresh herbs and Parmesan cheese (optional)

Ingredients for sauce:

1 tablespoon olive oil 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 (15-ounce) can whole coconut milk (shake well before using) ½ cup nutritional yeast 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice 1 teaspoon dried basil 1 teaspoon dried rosemary 1 pinch cayenne

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a small skillet. Add garlic and sauté for 3–5 minutes on medium heat, until fragrant and golden brown.

In a blender, add sautéed garlic, coconut milk, nutritional yeast, lemon juice and seasonings. Blend until well combined. Th e sauce will look runny. Set aside for now.

Remove outermost leaves of Brussels sprouts and rinse well. Chop about ¼ inch off the base of each sprout, keeping the sprout intact so leaves do not fall off . Chop sprouts in half vertically.

In a large pot, boil pasta water. Add 1 tablespoon salt to water (optional). Add orecchiette.

Heat 3–4 tablespoons olive oil to medium in a large cast-iron skillet. Carefully place Brussels sprouts into pan face-down and cook 5 minutes. Use a spoon to gently move sprouts around to prevent sticking, while keeping them face-down. After 5 minutes, add white wine vinegar and stir. Sprouts should look browned and crispy. Continue cooking for 10 minutes, stirring often, until sprouts are tender. Leave in pan and remove from heat.

Th e pasta and Brussels sprouts should fi nish around the same time. Once fi nished, drain pasta and set aside.

Pour garlic sauce mixture into sprouts pan. Add pasta and heat to medium-high. Stir until everything is wellcoated and hot. Th e sauce should start to thicken.

Garnish with fresh herbs or a light sprinkle of Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.