I was definitely inspired by instagram for this recipe for Cacio e Pepe Brussels! I have seen quite a few variations on the dish, but decided to make this one a little heart healthy. And to do that, you just need one easy swap, olive oil for butter. And while I know, Thanksgiving is all about your traditional favorites, making little swaps here and there can make a huge difference without sacrificing everyone’s favorites.
Cacio E Pepe was honestly a foreign concept to me until I met my husband. Basically because I was very against pepper. Honestly, I pretty much still am and watch over him when he adds it to our food always yelling stop. I have an unfortunate palate in which to me, pepper is spicy. I know its hard to believe, but I really do not think there is anything I can do about it.
I am definitely training my palate and I can certainly handle the pepper in this Cacio E Pepe Brussels. I leave it up to you on the amount of pepper. And for fellow non- pepper people (say that 10x fast), the Parmesan and crispy Brussels makes up for all of it!
Cacio E Pepe Brussels
a twist on a Classic
Ingredients
- 1 pound Brussels
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp finely shredded Parmesan
- 2 tbsp shaved Parmesan
- pepper
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 400 F. Line a baking sheet with tinfoil and parchment paper.
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Clean and cut the Brussels sprouts into halves and quarters.
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Place them on the baking sheet.
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Add the olive oil, and finely shredded Parmesan. I usually use canned for this step. Add lots of freshly cracked black pepper.
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Use a spoon to mix together the Brussel Sprouts
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Cook for 20 minutes.
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Transfer to a serving bowl and add the shaved Parmesan.
Substitutions
I like to share substitutions so you can use what you have rather than buy a specific ingredient just for one dish. But when the dish only has 4 ingredients, its hard to substitute. However, I will offer you a little trick
- When adding Parmesan to pesto and sauces, I try to save a little money by using the Parmesan that comes in a can. The one thing you want to be careful of is the salt level of the can. When I add it on top of dishes, I love to use this version from Trader Joes, “Freshly shaved Parmesan, Romano, & Asiago Cheese.” It’s delicious and much less expensive than the full Parmesan options they offer!
Want more Brussels (of course you do, who doesn’t!) Try these brussels with pear and pomegranate and our all time favorite Brussels Ceaser Salad
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