BRUSSELS, DATES AND BACON PENNE

INGREDIENTS

• 12 ounces Barilla Penne
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 cup Brussels sprouts, trimmed & halved lengthwise, reserving leaves, roasted till charred
• 1 ½ teaspoons Creole seasoning
• 2 slices thick sliced applewood smoked bacon
• 6 oz. goat cheese
• ½ cup sweet red onion, cut into 1” segments
• ½ cup red peppers, cut into 1” sticks
• ½ cup yellow peppers, cut into 1” sticks
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
• 10 pitted medjool dates, sliced into rounds
• 1 1/2 cups chicken stock
• 2 lemons, juiced and zested
• To garnish: Sprinkle with Brussels Sprout Leaves, Pistachios, lemon slices

PREPARATION

1. 1. Preheat oven with a small sheet pan to 400 degrees F.
2. 2. Toss Brussels sprouts in 1 teaspoon olive oil and ½ teaspoon Creole seasoning. Spread onto hot sheet pan and roast until charred. Remove from oven and set aside.
3. 3. Place 2 oz. of goat cheese in freezer to harden to later grate as garnish.
4. 4. Cut bacon crosswise and then into 1/4 inch wide matchsticks. Cook till crispy in large skillet, remove from pan and drain.
5. 5. Add remaining oil to pan bacon was cooked in, and heat to medium. Add in sweet onion and peppers and sauté till just tender. Add garlic and seasoning and stir for an additional 30 seconds, and then add dates, cooked bacon and roasted Brussels and stir until well combined.
6. 6. Add vinegar to deglaze pan, and next, slowly pour in the chicken stock. Let simmer for about 5-7 minutes.
7. 7. While sauce is cooking, add past to well-salted boiling water and cook for 5-6 minutes until al dente. Drain, reserving pasta water if needed to thin sauce.
8. 8. The sauce should thicken up as it cooks and start to coat the sprouts. If the sauce isn't thick enough after 7 minutes, let it simmer a few minutes more. If the sauce gets too thick (and sticky), add in a splash pasta water or stock.
9. 9. Once sauce is to your liking, add pasta, 4 oz. of crumbled goat cheese, lemon juice and lemon zest into mixture and stir until well coated.
10. 10. Plate, garnishing with grated frozen goat cheese, Brussel sprout leaves and lemon slices.