Brussels Sprouts With Pancetta & Pecans

Sometimes, it’s fine to just roast some vegetables to have with dinner, but other times, you want to take it up a notch. This recipe for Brussels Sprouts with Pancetta & Pecans is exactly what you’re looking for! And what makes it better is that although it’s a notch above just roasting, it’s still very easy to make.

Prepare the Brussels sprouts

Trim the ends and remove any dirty or blemished leaves from the outside. Depending on the size of the sprouts, you can cut them in half or in quarters. Most of the ones I bought were quite large so I cut them in quarters. What’s important to me is that they are easy to eat … a comfortable bite size.

Toss them with some olive or avocado oil, season them with salt and pepper, then put them on a parchment-paper-lined baking sheet. Roast them for about 20 minutes at 450°F. You want to see some nice browning and charring!

What is pancetta?

Pancetta is an Italian seasoned, salt-cured meat made from pork belly. It’s similar to bacon, but it’s not smoked like bacon is. It’s a really fresh alternative to bacon if you don’t want the smoky flavor so much. I got about a quarter of a pound sliced thinly, but I think a thicker, chunkier chop would also be fine. I prefer the thin slice so that it doesn’t compete with the chopped pecans that we’ll add at the end.

Chop the pancetta into small squares, let it render out some fat, then add thinly sliced shallots. Get them nice and crispy!

Look at those beautiful charred sprouts! Once they are roasted, mix them with the pancetta and shallots in a bowl.

Toast the pecans in the same skillet that you cooked the pancetta and shallots in, then sprinkle them on top of the Brussels sprouts. Feel free to experiment with other nuts, too … I think hazelnuts would be so delicious!

How to serve Brussels Sprouts with Pancetta & Pecans

A nice vegetable dish like this can accompany just about any grilled, sauteed, or oven roasted meat: steaks, pork chops, roast chicken … It’s really delicious with all of it!