Spaghetti with brown butter brussels sprouts

Pasta might not be the first dish that springs to mind at this time of year, but who says you can't combine it with autumn vegetables? Especially since today is Thanksgiving in the US (Happy Thanksgiving Americans!), so a lot of you will probably have a load of veg left over that you need to find a use for (hint hint, do this).

I enjoyed my roasted brussels sprouts with goat's cheese, lemon and walnuts so much that I thought I'd give the sprouts another go, and I loved them again. I think I'm officially a convert.

Allllso, how many of you noticed that I spelt brussels sprouts wrong every single time in that post? Turns out 'brussels' has an s on the end. It was deliberate though, of course. I was just testing you.

If you haven't tried brown butter before, you must. It's like normal butter, but caramelised. Caramelised butter. I know, it sounds made up, but it's not. It really doesn't get much better than caramelised butter. Add some toasted pine nuts, sautéed sprouts and some parmesan, and it's utter heaven.

This whole meal cooks up seriously quickly - the thing that takes the longest is the spaghetti, and that takes what, ten minutes? So it's quick as well as delicious, and it only has six ingredients - the perfect festive lunch.

Spaghetti with brown butter brussels sprouts

Serves 1

80g spaghetti
100g brussels sprouts
25g butter
10g pine nuts
1tsp fresh lemon zest
1tbsp vegetarian parmesan cheese, grated

Boil the spaghetti according to the instructions on the packet, around 10-12 minutes.

Meanwhile, cut the stalk end off the brussels sprouts, and cut each into quarters along the core. Boil for 3-4 minutes only - they shouldn't be completely soft.
Melt the butter in a pan, and continue to cook over a medium-low heat for 5 minutes, stirring every so often, until the butter starts to brown. Add the pine nuts and toast for 1 minute, before adding the sprouts and lemon zest. Continue to cook over a medium heat for another few minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent the nuts from burning.

When the pasta is ready, drain it and add it to the sauce. Toss to coat, and serve with parmesan cheese.