Brussels Sprouts And Crispy, Spicy Crumbs Linguine

                                                       

Brussels Sprouts & Crispy, Spicy Crumbs Linguine

Homemade pasta deserves an elegantly simple treatment. Here, toasted bread crumbs and chili flakes add a fiery flavour boost to a simple sauté of caramelized Brussels sprouts and crisp pancetta. You’ll find lots of bold, contrasting flavours and textures thanks to the bread crumbs and homemade pasta with the addition of lemon and fresh herbs. Our Umami Brodo with Parmesan & Porcini (recipe follows) makes an excellent starter to this meal.  Makes 4 servings 

Ingredients:
3 tbsp (45 mL) olive oil
3 tbsp (45 mL) butter
2 tsp (10 mL) chili flakes
4 garlic cloves, minced, divided
1/2 cup (125 mL) panko bread crumbs
1/4 lb (115 g) pancetta, cut into 1/4-inch (5-mm) strips
2 anchovies, patted dry and finely diced
12 Brussels sprouts, thinly sliced
1 lb (455 g) fresh linguine, made from Rich & Tender Homemade Pasta Dough (recipe follows)
1 lemon, zested and juiced
1 tbsp (15 mL) finely chopped basil

Directions:
Heat olive oil and butter in a large, wide frying pan. When frothy, stir to mix. Add chili flakes and half of garlic. Stir frequently until garlic softens slightly, about 1 minute. Add crumbs. Stir until toasted, about 3 to 5 minutes. Tilt the pan slightly and spoon bread crumb mixture into a bowl leaving excess oil in pan. Pour any excess oil into a separate small bowl and reserve.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil.

Meanwhile, add pancetta to the large frying pan. Set over medium heat. Cook until crisp, about 4 to 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove pancetta to a paper towel–lined plate. Add remaining garlic and anchovies to pan. Stir until softened slightly, about 30 seconds. Add Brussels sprouts. Pour 1 tbsp (15 mL) remaining oil from bread crumb mixture overtop. Stir occasionally until softened and caramelized, 5 to 9 minutes. Taste and season with salt, if needed.

Meanwhile, boil pasta until tender and floating up to the top of the water, 1 to 3 minutes. Carefully scoop 1 cup (250 mL) cooking water and set aside. Drain pasta. Turn pasta into pan with Brussels sprouts mixture. Stir in reserved pasta water until nicely coated. Taste and season with salt, if you like. Add pancetta. Divide between bowls. Squeeze lemon juice overtop. Sprinkle bread crumb mixture overtop. Garnish with basil and lemon zest.  Makes 4 servings 

Rich And Tender Homemade Pasta Dough

Spend the afternoon leisurely rolling out your own homemade pasta. It’s a process well worth the time and effort. This basic recipe can be used for traditional shapes like spaghetti, linguine and pappardelle nests or used as a base for making stuffed shapes like our Zesty Cheese Tortellini (recipe follows). You’ll need a pasta roller for this endeavour.
Ingredients:
2 cups (500 mL) all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
1 1/2 tsp (7 mL) kosher salt
3 eggs
1 yolk
Semolina or all-purpose flour, for dusting

Directions:
Whirl flour with salt in a food processor. Add eggs and yolk. Whirl just until mixed and crumbly. Turn onto a lightly floured surface. Bring dough together, kneading into a fairly smooth ball and forming into a flattened round disc. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Let rest 30 minutes at room temperature.

Cut disc into four equal pieces. Work with one piece at a time, rewrapping the rest tightly with plastic wrap. Using your hands, shape that piece into a small, flattened disc. Dust pasta dough and pasta roller with flour. Using the widest setting on pasta roller, roll out dough 2 or 3 times. Continue to feed the sheet through the roller, reducing the thickness of each round until you have a very long piece about 1/16-inch (1-mm) thick (ideally 6 or 7 on the pasta roller or thinner). Cover with plastic wrap then a dampened cloth (not too wet). Repeat with remaining pieces of dough.

Cut into long spaghetti or linguine noodles by hand-cutting to your desired thickness. Or roll through a noodle attachment to your preferred width, dusting with flour periodically. Hang dry noodles on a pasta rack. (If you don’t have one, try using your oven door handle.) Let dry 10 to 15 minutes before cooking.

To cook, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt until it tastes like the sea, approximately 1 to 2 tbsp (15 to 30 mL) kosher salt. Gently add pasta, swirling with a wooden spoon to separate the noodles. Boil until pasta is al dente; this usually happens once pasta floats to the surface, about 1 to 3 minutes. Drain well before tossing with sauce.
Makes 1 lb (455 g) pasta for 4 servings