This weeknight brussels sprout pasta dish is bursting with autumnal flavors and makes the most of ingredients you might have on hand after hosting Thanksgiving dinner. Leaving some of the outer brussels sprouts leaves whole before roughly chopping the centers ensures you get different shapes and textures in every bite; hot Italian sausage adds heft and spice (add more red pepper flakes if you like); pecans toasted in nutty brown butter are rich, cozy, and crunchy; and using Pecorino gives the dish a salty, sharp punch.
Tips
- Work smarter: Get your pasta water on to boil first. As it warms up, use the prep time to assemble the rest of your ingredients.
- No Pecorino?: Parmesan cheese or a nutty aged Manchego would each make worthy stand-ins.
- Sprout swap: Have a batch of leftover roasted brussels sprouts? Toss those in at the end of the recipe just to warm them up.
- Pasta choice: Any type of medium pasta will work with this dish. We like mezze rigatoni, short tubes that will trap small bits of sausage and pecan for full-flavored bites. But you could consider orecchiette, conchiglie, or regular old penne.
- Avoid overcooked pasta: To get a luxurious, glossy sauce, cook your pasta until just shy of al dente (2 minutes less than package directions) so you can finish it in the sauce, with starchy water and butter helping bring everything together.
