Orecchiette With Brussels Sprouts and Bratwurst

By Kay Chun

Orecchiette With Brussels Sprouts and Bratwurst
Ryan Liebe for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Total Time
20 minutes
Rating
5(1,789)
Comments
Read comments

This zesty pasta is a playful riff on choucroute garnie, the classic Alsatian dish. The usual suspects (pork and cabbage) show up in the form of bratwurst, brussels sprouts and sauerkraut. Instead of potatoes, pasta joins the party and everything comes together in a tangy sauce of Parmesan, sour cream and fresh dill. Buy sauerkraut that looks fresh and crunchy for best flavor and texture. For a more kid-friendly meal, swap in shell pasta. If you happen to find yourself with leftovers, they make a tasty cold pasta salad.

  • or to save this recipe.

  • Subscriber benefit: Give recipes to anyone

    As a subscriber, you have 10 gift recipes to give each month. Anyone can view them - even nonsubscribers. Learn more.

    Subscribe

  • Share this recipe

  • Print this recipe

Advertisement

Ingredients

Yield:4 servings
  • 2tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 12ounces fully cooked bratwurst (about 4 links), sliced ½-inch thick (see tip)
  • 1cup thinly sliced onion
  • 12ounces brussels sprouts, quartered if large or halved if small (about 3 cups)
  • 8ounces drained sauerkraut, coarsely chopped (about 1½ cups)
  • 3cloves garlic, thinly sliced
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1pound orecchiette
  • ½cup grated Parmesan (2 ounces), more for serving
  • ½cup sour cream (4 ounces)
  • 2tablespoons chopped fresh dill, parsley or chives
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

931 calories; 42 grams fat; 17 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 17 grams monounsaturated fat; 4 grams polyunsaturated fat; 103 grams carbohydrates; 9 grams dietary fiber; 8 grams sugars; 36 grams protein; 1278 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

Powered by

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Melt the butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the bratwurst and onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 5 minutes. Add the brussels sprouts, sauerkraut and garlic and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the brussels sprouts are crisp-tender, about 5 minutes.

  2. Step 2

    Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a pot of boiling salted water until al dente. Reserve 1½ cups pasta cooking water and drain the pasta. Return the pasta and reserved cooking water to the pot over low heat. Add the sausage mixture, Parmesan, sour cream and dill and stir until slightly thickened and saucy, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with more Parmesan, if desired.

Tip
  • Fully cooked bratwurst is widely available in most markets. If using fresh, lightly prick them with a fork, and simmer in water or stock (or pan-fry in oil or butter) until cooked through, about 15 minutes.

Private Notes

Leave a Private Comment on this recipe and see it here.

Ratings

5 out of 5
1,789 user ratings
Your rating

or to rate this recipe.

Have you cooked this?

or to mark this recipe as cooked.

Comments

Jutta

Greeting from the land of sauerkraut - Germany. I made this today, with pieces of bacon instead of bratwurst, and my favorite canned sauerkraut. Delicious! Finally an idea how to prepare old fashioned brussels sprouts in another way than I know it from my mom (and her mom and her ....).

Greg

This was easy to prepare and quick - since we have a vegetarian in the family, I made one helping with mushrooms instead of sausage. I also add red pepper flakes for a little kick.

Mary

Easy meal. Will make again as we both really liked it. May add a little more sauerkraut. Am considering roasting the Brussels sprouts separately before adding towards the end.

Amy

I eat gluten free so used about 3/4 lb of rice rotini. Instead of adding brussels sprouts to the sausage/kraut mixture I cooked a whole bunch of veggies in a separate skillet and added them at the end - kale, broccoli, mushrooms and onions. I used plain yogurt instead of sour cream and about 1 T each fresh dill and chives from my garden, with some chopped parsley on the side to add as garnish. Loved it and my husband and I are looking forward to a second round as there were plenty of leftovers.

Karen

I agree the dill is the better way to ho. works well with all the other flavours.@Dimitrios

CLW

We used shells instead of Orecchiette, and didn’t get the sprouts crispy but my wife and I were deeply disappointed by this dish well beyond those minor missteps. The ratio of pasta to other food seemed way off, the flavors did not meld well (we used fresh dill). And the texture-flavor combination came across as “off” with the first bite! We’ve never had such a miss from such a highly rated recipe before. Perhaps it’s just “not for us” but our roots are both German (although I could eat sauerkraut everyday and my wife prefers it sparingly). I will say though that I tried it the next day after refrigerating overnight and the flavors melded more harmoniously, but the textures were still not right. I think i will try it again but with less pasta and by roasting the sprouts and adding them at the end. My wife has said she won’t join me in that so it may be a while :(

Private comments are only visible to you.

Recipe Tags

or to save this recipe.