Fettuccini with Marinated Brussel Sprouts

I really wanted to make a simple pasta. Something in the traditional vein of olive oil, diagnosis garlic and Parmesan. But if I leave it simple as that, I often find myself eating at least half a pound of pasta. Not quite as healthy as I’d like, but that was often my hangover cure in college, and I just can’t seem to stop myself around big bowls of noodles. So, in the interest of health, I wanted to add some kind of vegetable to cut the carbiness (Is that a word?) of the dish. I decided on brussel sprouts because they looked so fresh at the supermarket and because I’ve been wanting to try them raw (or close to it) dressed with olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, salt and pepper as a salad. This was close enough.

The final dish was tangy, light and flavorful and came together in less that 30 minutes. A total winner that will surely be added to the weekly roster.

Fettuccini with Marinated Brussel Sprouts

1 box Whole Wheat Fettuccini
1 lb. Brussel Sprouts
1/4 cup olive oil
8 cloves garlic, finely minced
Juice of 1 lemon
salt and pepper to taste
Parmesan cheese for topping

Place a large pot of water on the stove to boil. Once the water reaches a roiling boil, add salt and then the box of fettuccini. How salty should the water be? The water should be as salty as the Mediterranean Sea. In other words, pretty salty.

While you’re waiting for the water to boil, cut the base off of each brussel sprout and thinly slice the rest of it. While you’re doing this, place the sliced sprouts into a large bowl. Once you’re done, add the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic and pepper (I use about 1 tsp., freshly ground) and toss well.

Once the fettuccini is al dente, reserve 1/4 cup of the starchy water and drain the pasta. Toss the fettuccini into the bowl with the brussel sprouts, adding the starchy water as you combine everything. To serve, plate the pasta and top with Parmesan cheese.