Print

Pasta with Brussels Sprouts, Chicken, and Blue Cheese

Prevent your screen from going dark

Makes 4 servings 1x

Time 30 minutes

In How to Cook Everything Fast, recipe directions are separated into “prep” and “cook.” Here, we’ve made that distinction with italics for prep-work and plain text for cooking. This reflects the most efficient order and timing of tasks.

Units Scale

Ingredients

  • Salt
  • 1 pound Brussels sprouts
  • 4 to 6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 1 pound)
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • Pepper
  • 4 ounces blue cheese (1 cup crumbled)
  • 1 pound any cut pasta (like rigatoni or radiatore)
  • 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
  • 1/2 cup walnut pieces

Instructions

  1. Heat the oven to 425°F. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it.
  2. Trim the Brussels sprouts and halve them top to bottom; put them on one half of a rimmed baking sheet.
    Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces and put them on the other half of the baking sheet.
  3. Drizzle the Brussels sprouts and chicken with 3 tablespoons olive oil and toss, keeping them separated as best you can without worrying. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and transfer the pan to the oven.
  4. Roast the Brussels sprouts and chicken undisturbed until they release from the pan easily, about 10 minutes. Toss with a spatula and continue roasting until the vegetables are tender, the chicken is no longer pink inside, and everything is browned, 3 to 5 minutes more. Remove from the oven.
  5. Crumble 1 cup blue cheese.
  6. When the water boils, add the pasta and stir occasionally. Start tasting after 5 minutes. When the pasta is tender but not mushy, drain it, reserving about 2 cups cooking water.
  7. Return the pasta to the pot over medium-low heat; add the Brussels sprouts and chicken. Pour about 1/2 cup of the reserved water into the baking sheet and scrape up any browned bits; transfer them to the pot along with the blue cheese, 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar, 1/2 cup walnuts, and enough cooking water to make a sauce. Toss, taste, and adjust the seasoning, then serve.

— Recipe from How to Cook Everything Fast