These crispy brussels sprouts with walnuts & pancetta make for a savory side dish combining seared sprouts, toasted walnuts, and salty pancetta for a flavorful crunch. This dish serves 3-4 and though it’s best as a side, it could make for a nutritious meal all on its own.
Making the Crispiest Crispy Brussels Sprouts
Nobody likes a soggy sprout. Halve the sprouts for quicker cooking and more surface area, which helps them crisp up. If they’re larger, you can quarter them. As the instructions below remind you, make sure to dry the sprouts prior to roasting because moisture creates steam and prevents crisping. Space the sprouts at least 1/4-inch apart, and place the flat side down. Halfway through cooking, it’s a good idea to turn each sprout over for crisping on both sides.
Crispy Brussels Sprouts with Walnuts & Pancetta Recipe
Ingredients
- 10 oz Brussels sprouts (about 20)
- 3 tbsp chopped walnuts
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 oz diced pancetta
- Salt and black pepper
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 2 tbsp champagne vinegar
Instructions
- Trim the stem end of sprouts and slice in half. Blanch in salted water for two minutes, drain, and refresh in cold water. Lay on a paper towel or clean kitchen towel to remove the excess moisture.
- Heat a 10 ¼-inch cast-iron skillet (we used Field Company’s #8) and toast the nuts for a few minutes until golden brown. Remove from the pan and set aside.
- Heat one tablespoon of the oil and fry the pancetta for a few minutes until cooked and nicely browned. Remove from the pan, leaving any oil.
- Add the other tablespoon of oil and add the Brussels sprouts, cut-side down. Season generously with salt and pepper and cook until browned on the cut side, about 5 minutes. Turn and continue to cook just until tender, about another 2-3 minutes.
- Add the mustard, vinegar, cooked pancetta and walnuts and stir to coat the Brussels sprouts.
Recipe by Julia Platt Leonard / Photography by Dave Bryce
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