This high protein healthy Brussel sprouts and bacon pasta dinner is almost too good to be true! It uses chickpea pasta to bump up the protein but keeps the flavor with the classic brussel sprout bacon combo. It’s going to be your new go to dinner!
Hi, friends! I’m so glad so many of you are enjoying the new search function on my recipe index! I hope it helps you find what you are looking for faster and easier!
I’ve been DYING to share this recipe with you guys! I’ll admit, as time goes on the breastfeeding diet I’m on for Little Man’s MSPI (Milk Soy Protein Intolerance) is rough. Just to recap I’m currently gluten, dairy, soy, egg, nut, and peanut free. (I know I keep saying I have an update/ full post is coming, I’m planning to post after or close to his 6-month appointment at the end of this month.) While I like a good challenge, life was getting a little repetitive. So, I went searching for new ideas, and I found this recipe.
I loved the idea of bacon + Brussel sprouts (any time but especially in pasta), but there wasn’t enough of either in the recipe for me. So, I did what any good healthy living food blogger would do, and I tripled the veggies and the bacon. #balance We had a massive abundance of lemons, so I used that instead of white wine vinegar. I omitted raisins because, ew, gross not in my pasta and also because we don’t keep them in the house. I also skipped the shallots because I’m lazy and didn’t want to chop them up. Onion powder for the win!
If you are like, “that’s great Kelli, I don’t care about any of that. What I want to know is WTH is chickpea pasta?”
I feel you; it sounds weird. But hey, at least it’s not cauliflower! Which I find is in everything these days, including crackers. Get out of my crackers cauliflower, jeez. Chickpea pasta is made from chickpea flour which is made from ground up chickpeas or garbanzo beans (same thing.) It’s not lower calorie than traditional pasta, but it is more filling because it has a ton more protein, fewer carbs, and more fiber.
One last thing, if you have issues with digesting Brussel sprouts, I suggest adding 1 tbsp caraway seeds to them while they are cooking. Caraway seeds help decrease bloating and discomfort associated with eating certain foods including cruciferous vegetables! The caraway seeds aren’t shown in the photos, but I do regularly add them to this recipe and other Brussel sprout centric recipes.
I’ve made this recipe several times now, sometimes just for dinner and sometimes for meal prep for lunches. It always comes out delicious! Let me know if you try it!
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Brussel Sprouts & Bacon Pasta
Ingredients
- 8 ounces chickpea pasta
- 1 lb baby brussel sprouts quartered
- 10 ounces bacon
- 2 tbsp lard or other oil
- 2 lemons
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- black pepper to taste
- 1 tbsp caraway seeds optional
Instructions
- Bring a pot of salted water to a rolling boil and add pasta, stirring occasionally. Save 1/2 cup pasta water before straining.
- While pasta cooks, in a large skillet - cook up your bacon! Reserve about 1-2 tbsp of fat. Once bacon is done cooking, chop it up.
- When bacon is done the cooking, add Brussel sprouts to the pan, toss with 1tbsp bacon fat. If you are adding caraway seeds, add them in now. Add juice of 1/2 lemon and 1/3 cup water. Cook covered for 5-7 minutes, then uncover to brown them for another 3-4 minutes.
- Add 1 tbsp bacon fat to hot, strained pasta, then add seasonings (garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and black pepper) and the juice of one lemon.
- Combine pasta with Brussel sprouts and bacon. Finish off with final lemon sprits and salt/pepper to taste.
Notes
Nutrition
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[…] Which, I’m sorry to say, but I don’t. With KJ, when he had MSPI I made my bacon brussel sprout pasta on REPEAT. Almost every week. But I regularly purchase ground sweet Italian pork […]