After all the indulgence over the holidays, you can imagine that I wanted some healthy food after returning to post-holiday normalcy. But, as it is winter, we still wanted a satisfying meal. Am I alone in feeling mid-winter salads just don’t satisfy for dinner?
So, with some Brussels sprouts we had in the fridge, and a bunch of staples from my cupboard, I created a meal of whole wheat pasta with a chickpea and tomato sauce and Brussels sprouts on the side. I slightly browned the chickpeas, which enhances the nuttiness of this legume, and helps lend a richer flavor to the sauce without adding extra fat. To go with the pasta I made these breadcrumb-coated Broasted (c) Brussels sprouts. I say “broasted” because they are half-braised and half-roasted. It was an idea I came up with that had surprisingly tasty results! Ok, there is some butter in the recipe too—maybe I wasn’t quite ready turn to an ascetic lifestyle!
Chick Pea and Tomato Pasta
c. 8 oz. of pasta, preferably whole wheat
splash of olive oil
I medium onion, chopped
1 can of chick peas, drained
2 cloves of garlic, minced (or more, to taste)
2 T tomato paste (or paste made from tomato powder)
2 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp dried basil
1 tsp hot pepper flakes (optional)
2 cans of diced tomatoes
salt and pepper to taste
Parmesan cheese, to tasteGet water boiling for the pasta. And in the mean time:
Heat up a splash of olive oil in a pot over medium-high heat, add onions, sauté until soft. Dump in the chick peas and garlic and keep sauteing until the pan is pretty dry and the chick peas are browning in spots, about 10 minutes. Add the tomato paste and spices and stir around until the chick peas and onions are well coated. Add the canned tomatoes and stir. Let cook, uncovered, on low for 20-30 minutes (about ten minutes out, get your pasta started cooking). The sauce should be pretty thick. If still thin, crank up the heat a bit and cook a little longer. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Add pasta and give it a stir. You can add a little olive oil at this point if you want to richen it up a bit.
Garnish with a dusting of parmesean.
Serves 3-ish.
Broasted Brussels Sprouts
1 pint of Brussels sprouts, cleaned and halved lengthwise
2 cloves garlic, very finely sliced, or shaved
1 tsp olive oil
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
1 T white wine vinegar (or dry white wine)
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup bread crumbs (whole wheat or white)
2 T Parmesan cheese
1 T butter, cubed into bitsHeat oven to 350 degrees.
Heat olive oil in an oven safe sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the Brussels sprouts, cut side down. Let sit for a few minutes, add the garlic, salt, and pepper, then give it a stir (don’t worry if some of the sprouts halves flip over–they’ll get their turn). Stir intermittently a few minutes more until most of the sprouts are browned on the cut side. Deglaze the pan with the vinegar (or wine) and water, and give the Brussels sprouts a stir, scraping any browned bits of the bottom of the pan. Cook over medium for about 10 minutes until most, but not all (there should be a couple tablespoons left), of the liquid is burned off. Turn off heat.
Sprinkle breadcrumbs and cheese over the top and dot with butter. Cook, uncovered, in the oven for 15-20 minutes, or until breadcrumbs and cheese are lightly browned.
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