Brussels Sprouts with Shallots, Walnuts and Pecorino Romano

At the farmer’s market on Sunday, I got excited to see freshly cut brussels sprout stalks just begging to be taken home. I chose a two and a half foot long stalk covered with nearly three pounds of tightly clustered, bright green sprouts. My hubby Brent, who unlike most normal children loved brussels sprouts growing up, was so confused, then curious, and finally delighted when he saw me lugging this strange, Shrek-like vegetable through the front door and realized it was his favorite veggie.

Since I was now the overzealous owner of pounds of brussels sprouts, I cooked up two batches differently to see which method I liked best. For the first round, I sliced up a pound worth of sprouts and sauteed them over high heat – resulting in a tender, wonderfully textured side dish. Although I ate these sliced sprouts warm, I think they would be delightful chilled in the fridge as well.

For the second version, I high-roasted the brussel sprouts in the oven. It was a much simpler dish to prepare, but still just as tasty because the cut sides of the heads caramelized and created a nice crunch. In both recipes, the lemon juice is key to brightening all of the flavors. Add as much or as little as you prefer.

Let me know which method you like best!

1 pound brussels sprouts, stems and any yellow leaves removed
6 shallots
3 garlic cloves, sliced
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped
1/2 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons pecorino romano, grated
olive oil
salt and pepper

Serves 4

Sauteed Method

Using a mandolin, hand slicer or (easiest of all) the slicing blade on a food processor, thinly slice brussels sprouts and shallots separately. Heat a splash of olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat and cook shallots until tender, about 2-3 minutes. Add garlic and thyme, cook one minute. Add brussels sprouts and increase heat to medium-high, and cook until tender, about 5-6 minutes. Turn off heat and add lemon juice, walnuts and cheese to pan, stirring to combine. Season with salt and lots of freshly cracked pepper.

Roasting Method

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Cut shallots in quarters and toss with olive oil, salt and pepper. Place shallots in a large baking sheet and roast 10 minutes. In the meantime, cut brussels sprouts in half and place in bowl with garlic. Drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper and toss to combine. Add brussels sprouts and garlic to baking sheet after shallots have roasted for 10 minutes and roast an additional 20-30 minutes, depending upon the size of your sprouts. When sprouts are tender and beautifully caramelized, pour mixture into a large bowl and add remaining ingredients, stirring to combine.

Tagged as: Brussels sprouts, pecorino romano, roasting, sauteing, shallots, walnuts