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Creamy Pasta Salad with Shaved Brussels Sprouts

Sometimes being a recipe developer is easier than people think; just throw a bunch of awesome ingredients into a pan, sauté them, and it’s probably going to be delicious. That’s basically what we’re doing here. We’ll cook some shaved Brussels sprouts, sun-dried tomatoes, olives, and artichoke hearts together, then toss them with pasta that has been coated in a creamy avocado-based dressing for a unique and flavorful pasta salad.

But first, please set your childhood Brussels sprout traumas aside and embrace these beautiful cruciferous vegetables. Trust me, when they’re thinly sliced, seasoned well, and sautéed with other flavorful ingredients until slightly browned and crispy, Brussels can become one of your new favorite vegetables.

Brussels-Pasta

Makes 4-6 servings

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 cups spiral pasta (rotini, fusilli)
  • 1 large avocado
  • 2-3 tablespoons lemon juice
  • Salt, to taste
  • 1 teaspoon olive oil
  • 6-8 large brussels sprouts
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 1/4 cup Kalamata olives
  • 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes
  • 1/4 cup artichoke hearts
  • 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper

Prep: Make the pasta according to package instructions. Starting with about 1 1/2 cups of dry pasta should be just about perfect. You can technically use any pasta you have on hand, but spiral types like rotini and fusilli will work best. Allow this to chill while completing the other steps.

Step One

The dressing for this pasta salad is basically just a mashed avocado – the perfect ‘One Ingredient’ way to add creaminess to any salad. To make, use a fork to mash an avocado in a small bowl with some salt and lemon juice until completely smooth. Add a little water, if needed, to reach a smoother dressing-like consistency. Refrigerate this and begin working on the sautéed veggies.

Step Two

To make the “shaved” Brussel sprouts, just slice them thinly lengthwise. Add about 6 of these sliced Brussels to a pan with a drop of oil and 3 cloves of minced garlic. Then, throw in 2 handfuls of halved Kalamata olives, some sun-dried tomatoes, a few artichoke hearts, and a sprinkle of crushed red pepper. Season this well with salt and allow to cook over medium-high heat for about 10 minutes, tossing occasionally, until the Brussels start to brown and everything smells amazing:

Brussels-Pasta-Pan

Step Three

Finally, put this pasta salad together by gently folding the avocado dressing into the pasta until it is lightly and evenly coated. Then toss in the sautéed Brussels mixture until everything is well incorporated.

This dish is best served cold, so pop this finished salad in the fridge to further chill, if necessary. It should keep well for a day (or two, at most) if refrigerated in a sealed container.

Brussels-Pasta-Top

10 Comments

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  1. This sounds delicious! One question- do you use fresh or canned artichoke hearts? I have never used fresh but am intrigued by them!

    • I definitely used artichokes in a jar. Yes, they have a few extra ingredients but it would be an all-day chore to and remove the hearts from fresh artichokes! 🙂

  2. Hi Andrew,

    I’m soooo going to make this new pasta dish! Brussel sprouts are a favourite of mine. And because I like nuts, I might even add some crushed walnuts on top.

    Your photos and recipes are fabulous. Now I just need to ensure that in future I look at your pages AFTER I have eaten, because they always make me hungry.

  3. You have the best timing with your recipes! I’m getting Brussel sprouts next week from my mom’s CSA box! I can’t wait to make this

  4. I LOVE me some Brussels sprouts. This recipe sounds great.
    As to childhood trauma, it was because they were WAY over-cooked. Every veggie I hated as a child (with the exception of okra) I love as an adult doing my own cooking.

  5. This pasta salad looks so great!! I love how you saute everything together so the flavors can really meld. Genius! 🙂

  6. This looks delicious! Although I may also add in some radicchio for the superfood benefits bit otherwise I wouldn’t change a thing. Thank you for sharing!

  7. This was delicious and a very filling meal. I love the crunch & juiciness of cherry tomatoes, so I added those instead of sundried tomatoes. Especially loved the fusilli once it was coated in avocado. Mmmmmmmm

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