This evolved from a recipe on p.164 of the first edition of Molly Katzen’s The Enchanted Broccoli Forest. She deleted it in the second edition, and I think I know why: it just wasn’t quite good enough. It was missing something. Over years of experimenting with variants, I think I finally figured out what: meatiness, or “umami” flavor. However, after fixing that, I felt I still owed something back to the recipe’s vegetarian roots, so you’ll also find here a veggie version.
(Serves 4, can be doubled)
- 1/2 lb pasta
- 1/2 lb Brussels sprouts
- 1/2 c chopped onion (or more, I sometimes use a whole small onion)
- 1/2 lb sliced mushrooms
- 1/2 package Jimmy Dean sausage (Gimme Lean for veggie version)
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp dill
- 1/2 tsp tarragon (or, in a pinch, “Italian herbs”)
- 1/2 tsp dried mustard OR 1 tsp prepared mustard
- 1 tbsp flour
- 1 c hot milk
- 1 tsp prepared horseradish (or more to taste)
- 1 packed cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
- (optional) chopped fresh watercress for garnish (a little old and sharp is OK)
- (optional) grated asiago for garnish (parmesan/romano also OK)
Cut the Brussels sprouts into quarters (if large) or halves (if smaller) and start steaming them. Don’t let them overcook and turn olive green. (Start your pasta water also, and time the pasta to finish about the same time as the sauce.)
Form the sausage into small balls about the same volume as the Brussels sprout pieces. Fry them until browned. (For the Jimmy Dean sausage, you may only need to add a little water to the pan and then continue cooking in its own drippings; for the Gimme Lean, you’ll want to cook it in the butter.) Remove the sausage. (For Jimmy Dean, drain off excess grease and add the butter now.)
Add the onion and cook for a minute, then add the mushrooms and salt. Stir in the mustard. Sprinkle in the dill and tarragon as they cook. When the onions are translucent, sprinkle in the flour, stirring as you do. Meanwhile, heat the milk in a Pyrex measuring cup in your microwave (about 1 minute on high).
Gradually drizzle in the hot milk, stirring as you do. Keep the sauce smooth and lump-free.
Stir in the horseradish, then add the sausage and Brussels sprouts. Sprinkle in the cheese as you stir, until it is all melted. When the pasta is ready, mix the sauce into it and serve, along with the optional garnishes and extra horseradish.
My theory for why the horseradish works so well here is that kale-family vegetables like broccoli and Brussels sprouts have a natural radishy sharpness when fresh, which is destroyed by cooking; the horseradish replaces this lost “bite”. This is also why watercress works as a garnish.
If you start in a pot or pan large enough to hold everything, this is a “one pot” dish (not counting the pasta pot), so it’s easy to clean up afterwards. The technique of making a roux in the same pan as your main ingredients is REALLY convenient and well worth learning for use in other recipes.
Energy and Time 