Recipe Rave Review - Bacon & Brussels Carbonara

My girl over at How Sweet It Is has her game on point. She comes up with some mouth watering recipes that you know I have to try in my own country kitchen. When I came upon this bacon and brussels carbonara, this vegetarian started to drool a bit. Despite not eating meat myself, I decided to make the recipe anyway and just cut the bacon chunks big enough to be picked out...and turn a blind eye to the fact I was eating bacon fat...just this once.

I grabbed my ingredients and got cooking. I wasn't able to locate the bucatini and with two rowdy toddlers, I wasn't about to go to another store. I made do with fettuccine and just accepted I wouldn't experience the same fat, juicy noodles my super star "sweetheart" did.

First up, I laid out my goods, got to chopping and heating. My skillet was set to medium and the bacon chunks went in. As the aroma filled my kitchen I had to remind myself that smells were permitted, but that was it. I had been a vegetarian for nearly ten years and I was not about to challenge my beliefs over the smell of amazing bacon. Should this even smell good? Am I a horrible person? Whatever, keep cooking. Once the bacon started to crisp, I got water boiling for the noodles.


As soon as the bacon was cooked and crisp, I removed it from the pan using a slotted spoon and placed it on a paper towel. Then, I used a large spoon to remove half the bacon grease and placed it in a cup to use for later. 


The other half of the delicious bacon fat still in the pan? Enter brussel sprouts, chopped and de-stemmed. While cooking for 6-8 minutes, make sure to stir every once in awhile to reallllllly coat those angels in fat. Add the garlic and cook an additional minute.  Once cooked, take off the heat and set aside.

Whisk together eggs and parmesan...do your best to get out all the lumps.


Extra bacon fat you set aside? Well, put it back into the skillet on low heat. Add the pasta and toss it into the bacon fat...you want it allllll to be nice and fat coated.

Remove the noodles from the heat and pour the egg/parm mixture on top. Stir quickly and nonstop to get a nice cream sauce going; at least 3-4 minutes.


Once mixed, add in the bacon and brussels. Sprinkle some additional cheese and EAT. RIGHT. NOW.



Once I served this to my carnivorous TH, we were really in business. He even requested that I make it again that week...which I was more than happy to do. I loaded up a bit more brussel and ate my heart out!


 I strongly suggest you make this salty treasure a staple this weekend.  You won't regret it!