ORECCHIETTE WITH BROWN BUTTER, BRUSSELS SPROUTS, AND CRUMBS

ORECCHIETTE WITH BROWN BUTTER, BRUSSELS SPROUTS, AND CRUMBS

S E R V E S 3 TO 4

Peeling Brussels sprouts into individual leaves is a prodigious hassle, a task best undertaken with a good podcast streaming in the background or with the help of anyone lurking in your kitchen. But once you see that pile of mini green half shells ready to spoon with your pasta doppelgänger, the task will feel well worth the effort. And once the sprout peeling is complete, there’s no other prep in this recipe—no nuts to toast, no onions to slice, no cheese to grate. Larger Brussels sprouts make for easier peeling, but if you’re not up for it, you can buy or prepare shaved Brussels sprouts instead. Brown butter in combination with toasted bread crumbs gives this six-ingredient pasta a nutty, rich flavor.

• 6 tablespoons (¾ stick) unsalted butter
• 1 cup fresh bread crumbs (see Note, page 172)
• ¾ pound Brussels sprouts
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus more as needed
• ½ pound orecchiette pasta
• Freshly cracked black pepper to taste

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Meanwhile, in a large sauté pan, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter over medium heat. Add the crumbs and toast until golden and crisp, 5 to 7 minutes, then transfer to a plate to cool. Wipe the skillet clean and melt the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. When the butter begins turning brown and smelling nutty, turn off the heat.

2. Meanwhile, prepare the Brussels sprouts. Halve the sprouts through the core, then use a paring knife to remove the triangular core in each half—this is the tedious part. When all the cores have been removed, pull the sprouts apart; some outer leaves will fall off easily, while others will need some tugging. When you reach the heart of the sprout where it is hard to remove the leaves, stop peeling and set the heart aside. After all of the sprouts are peeled, thinly slice the hearts.

3. When the water is boiling, add 1 tablespoon salt and the pasta. Check the cooking time on your package of pasta. Set a timer for 1 minute less than the time recommended for al dente, and when it dings, add the Brussels sprout leaves and hearts to the pot and cook for 1 minute more. Reserve ½ cup of the cooking liquid, then drain the pasta and sprouts.

4. Rewarm the brown butter over medium or medium-high heat. Add the pasta, sprouts, and some pepper. Taste and add more salt as needed. If the pasta is dry, add the reserved cooking liquid, 1 tablespoon at a time. Just before serving, add in the toasted bread crumbs and toss to combine.

NOTE: Fresh bread crumbs sounds like an oxymoron—but it just means not dried. To make them, simply pulse bread, preferably at least one day old, in a food processor until roughly the size of peppercorns. If you are using bread with thick crusts, remove them before pulsing—the crust of the peasant bread (see page 22), however, does not need to be removed. Dried bread crumbs or panko should not be used in place of fresh—they will not absorb flavor as well, and, moreover, they will get overtoasted when they are crisped with oil or butter.

“Bread Toast Crumbs” by Alexandra Stafford (Clarkson Potter)