Brussels Sprouts Pasta With Lemon- Vegan

Brussels sprouts, pasta and lemon is an incredibly delicious combination. I learned this from my husband. The man tasted this at a restaurant and literally followed me everywhere till I made it. And boy, I m glad he did! 

The first time I made this pasta, I used spaghetti. But I was not thrilled. Let us just say, I m not a fan of spaghetti anything but spaghetti aglio olio. The second time, I used Fusilli and I knew I had nailed it. And ever since then, this absolutely delicious pasta has been on regular rotation for dinner.

Did you all know that Brussels sprouts is a cruciferous vegetable? It belongs to the same family as cabbages, cauliflowers and Romanesco. They look like tiny cabbages and we love them in just about anything and this vegan pasta with nutty brussel sprouts tops that list.

Why is this pasta your go-to dinner?

For the simple reason that everyone loves pasta.

Brussel sprouts in pasta is unbelievably good. You have to try it to believe it.

This quick pasta has no cheese and no dairy. Naturally vegan.

30 mins is all it takes for this to reach your table.

How to choose brussels sprouts?

Even though these are available year round, the peak season is during December, January and runs through mid-February. Look for fresh, bright green brussels sprouts. The leaves should also be tightly wrapped and must not fall off easily. Avoid those with yellow leaves on the outside.As for the size, look for small to medium ones. The bigger the brussels, the lesser the flavor.

Store them unwashed in an air-tight bag in the fridge. They keep well for a week this way.

Ingredients

Pasta

Short pasta works best for this recipe. I know, I know. Most recipes on the internet call for spaghetti. But after trying this recipe with both, I conclude- Fusilli and penne are the best here.

Brussel Sprouts

This pasta is a great way to use up those brussel sprouts nearing their prime. Slightly yellowed brussel sprouts? No problem. Just trim the yellow layers off and proceed. You can use a knife to chop these up or take the food processor route to shred them. If you are using the processor to shred them, make sure to pat them dry completely before shredding. Also, avoid shredding them too finely.

I chopped them roughly into small pieces using a knife. The layers come apart while roasting anyway.

Lemons!

Ah.. tangy zesty lemons. I m a lemon lover, in and out. And I love them in just about anything! It is not a real wonder that I have at least five recipes for lemonade here. But lemon in pasta? Yes, with a capital Y! If you have not tried adding lemon or lemon zest to your pasta, you are in for a treat.

No cheese,so what do we use?

When I made this with spaghetti, I added grated parmesan. But I wanted to try a vegan version. And yet, I did not want to buy vegan cheese or nutritional yeast. Both cost as much as my arm and leg here. And I was convinced that there has to be another way out. 

Enter nuts! Almonds or walnuts. Toasted and ground. That is what we will add to give a nice cheesy twist to our pasta.

What about the spice?

I have used red pepper flakes. You can use coarsely ground black pepper too. Both work brilliantly.

Pan roasted brussel sprouts

For prepping the brussel sprouts in this recipe, I did not fire up my oven. Instead, I pan-roasted them till the edges became golden brown. You can roast the brussel sprouts in the oven or in your airfryer too. 

Wash and pat them dry. Cut them into halves. Toss them with olive oil,salt and red pepper flakes. Arrange them cutside down on a baking tray or in your airfryer basket. Roast them for 15 mins in a preheated oven/ airfryer at 205 C or 400 F. Add them right after the garlic is done in this recipe.

Prep Work

The biggest task here is chopping the brussel sprouts. Once you have that out of the way, everything else is pretty quick and straight forward.

Toasting almonds in microwave

I used my microwave to toast my almonds. To toast them in the microwave, place them in a single layer in a microwave safe glass bowl. Heat on high for 1 min and 20 secs. You will get a nice nutty aroma when they are toasted. The timing and temperature may vary a bit depending on the microwave you use. You can also use your oven to toast them. Since this is a small batch of almonds, I used my microwave.

Allow the toasted almonds to cool down a bit. Now, add this to a coffee grinder or spice grinder. Grind to a slightly coarse powder and set aside.

Recipe Notes

1. Make sure that the brussel sprouts are fully dry before adding them to the pan. If there is moisture, they will become soggy and won’t crisp up just as well. 
2. Adding pasta water is what makes this dish umpteen times more flavorful. So do not forget to reserve ½ c of pasta cooking water.
3. You can use grated parmesan if you are not looking for a vegan brussel sprouts pasta recipe. You will need ½ c grated parmesan for this recipe. Please remember to scale down the salt if you are using cheese.

Method

Cooking the pasta

Heat 6 c water in a pot. Add salt and ½ teaspoon olive oil to this. Allow the water to come to a boil. Now, add the pasta and cook for 2 mins minus the timings mentioned on the packet. My pasta package recommended cooking for 8 mins. So I cooked the pasta for 6 mins.

This is because, the pasta will finish cooking later in the pan. Cooking it for 8 mins will give you soft and slightly mushy pasta. This texture will not work well here.

Making almond powder

To toast them in the microwave, place them in a single layer in a microwave safe glass bowl. Heat on high for 1 min and 20 secs. You will get a nice nutty aroma when they are toasted. The timing and temperature may vary a bit depending on the microwave you use. You can also use your oven to toast them. Since this is a small batch of almonds, I used my microwave.

Allow the toasted almonds to cool down a bit. Now, add this to a coffee grinder or spice grinder. Grind to a slightly coarse powder and set aside.

Roasting the brussel sprouts

While the pasta cooks, let us work on the brussel sprouts. Heat a pan with olive oil. Add the chopped garlic and saute till garlic becomes a light golden brown. When the garlic browns, add salt and chopped brussel sprouts.

Toss to combine. On a medium flame, saute the brussel sprouts until the edges begin to brown. This takes roughly 3 mins. When done, add the chili flakes and mix well. By now, the pasta must have cooked.

Combining pasta and brussel sprouts

Reserve ½ cup pasta water and drain the rest. Add the cooked pasta to the pan along with lemon zest, parsley and lemon juice. Toss well. Now, add the pasta water, mix well and let it cook for 2 mins.

When done, finish with the ground almonds. Stir to combine. Serve hot.

Serving suggestions

Serve this up with some warm toasty bread and some hearty soup or with chilled wine. Either ways, it is one insanely yummy meal. 

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📖 Recipe

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5 from 7 votes

Brussels Sprouts Pasta

Tangy, zesty, nutty vegan pasta with brussels sprouts. Easy weeknight dinner.

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time20 mins

Course: Main Course, Mains

Cuisine: International, Italian

Equipment

• Sauce Pan
• Coffee grinder
• Colander

Ingredients

For cooking the pasta

• 150 g Fusilli or any short pasta Penne or Orecchiette work well.
• 6 c Water
• ½ teaspoon olive oil
• 2.5 teaspoon Salt

For almond powder

• ¼ c almonds

For brussel sprouts pasta

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1.5 tablespoon grated garlic roughly 12 grams
• 200 g roughly chopped brussels sprouts
• 1 teaspoon Salt or to taste
• 2 teaspoon red pepper flakes adjust according to your spice tolerance.
• 1 recipe cooked pasta
• 3 tablespoon finely chopped parsley
• 1.5 tablespoon Lemon juice
• 2 teaspoon lemon zest
• ½ c pasta cooking water
• 1 recipe ground toasted almonds

Instructions

Cooking the pasta

• Heat 6 c water in a pot.
• Add salt and ½ teaspoon olive oil to this.
• Allow the water to come to a boil.
• Now, add the pasta and cook for 2 mins minus the timings mentioned on the packet.
• My pasta package recommended cooking for 8 mins.
• So I cooked the pasta for 6 mins.

Making almond powder

• Place the almonds in a single layer in a microwave safe bowl.
• Heat on high for 1 min and 20 secs in bursts of 30 secs.
• Toss them around every time you stop.
• You will get a nice nutty aroma when they are toasted.
• The timing and temperature may vary a bit depending on the microwave you use.
• Allow the toasted almonds to cool down a bit.
• Now, add this to a coffee grinder or spice grinder.
• Grind to a slightly coarse powder and set aside.

Roasting the brussel sprouts

• Heat a pan with olive oil.
• Add the chopped garlic and saute till garlic becomes a light golden brown.
• When the garlic browns, add salt and chopped brussel sprouts.
• Toss to combine.
• On a medium flame, saute the brussel sprouts until the edges begin to brown.
• This takes roughly 3 mins.
• When done, add the chili flakes and mix well.

Combining pasta and brussel sprouts

• The pasta would have cooked by now.
• Reserve ½ cup pasta water and drain the pasta in a colander.
• Add the cooked pasta to the pan along with lemon zest, parsley and lemon juice.
• Toss well.
• Now, add the pasta water, mix well and let it cook for 2 mins.
• When done, finish with the ground almonds.
• Stir to combine. Serve hot.

For Instant Pot & Air Fryer Recipes

Instant Pot timings may vary based on your geographic location. Air fryer settings and timings may vary based on the capacity and the model of the Air fryer.

Disclaimer

Nutrition values are provided here as a courtesy and are only a rough guide. Please consult a health care provider if you have any concerns.

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