Sauteed Brussells and Bacon with Farfalle

The humble brussel sprout is never given much credit. Its one of those loved and hated vegetables, of which I am firmly placed in the 'love' team. They are like little baby cabbages that were grown possibly as early as the 13th century in what is now Belgium. They also contain sulforaphane, a phytochemical under basic research for its potential anticancer properties - although has less sulforaphane than its brassica brother, broccoli.

Although in the UK, they are mostly boiled (probably why people don't like them much), the best ways to cook them is to either roast them or shred them and stir fry, which brings out a lovely flavour. They pair beautifully with bacon and parmesan so here we have a lovely pasta meal with those delicious flavours.

Ingredients:             (Serves 3-4)

130g streaky bacon
1 onion, sliced
1 clove garlic, chopped
200g brussel sprouts, shredded
1 tbsp. olive oil
180g farfalle pasta
50g pine nuts
parmesan, to finish

Method:

Grill the bacon until crisp. The best way to do this is to dab at any fat with kitchen paper every few minutes while it is cooking. Remove and set to one side on some more kitchen paper.

Put the pasta on to boil in a large pan of boiling water.

Heat the oil in a wok or large frying pan and add the onion and garlic. Cook over a medium heat for 2 minutes and then add the sprouts. Stir fry for about 4 minutes and then add 3 tablespoons of the water from the pasta. Cover and let steam for 2 minutes. (alternatively, you could add a few tablespoons of white wine).

Drain the pasta and add to the sprouts, along with the pine nuts. Stir well. Just before serving, crumble in the bacon and combine.

Serve with a generous shaving of parmesan (use a potato peeler to get nice shavings) and serve hot. Delicious!