Rigatoni with Brussels Sprouts and Pancetta

Looking for a delicious pasta recipe for tonight's dinner? Try this tasty Rigatoni with Brussels Sprouts and Pancetta recipe. You can omit the heavy cream/cooking cream cheese, in this dish and add olive oil as you see fit, likely 1-2 tablespoons, depending on your flavor palette.

Rigatoni with Brussels Sprouts and Pancetta
About 4 portions

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
3 gloves garlic, chopped finely/grated, separated
1 Bushel Brussels sprouts, cleaned, first few leaves removed, and cut into fours
½ pound pancetta, diced
½ pound rigatoni pasta
Fresh oregano, 3 stems, chopped
¼ cup white wine
½ package organic portabella mushrooms (wiped clean, stems removed, sliced)
2 tablespoons cooking cream cheese (optional, this makes the cream sauce thicker)
¼ cup heavy cream (optional)
Black pepper, to taste

In large pan, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat and 1 clove of grated garlic.  Add diced pancetta and keep at medium heat until the pancetta starts to sweat.

In the meantime, add two remaining tablespoons olive oil in another large pan and bring to medium heat. Add 2 remaining cloves of garlic until it begins to brown then add Brussels sprouts.

Fill pasta pot with water and add salt. Bring to a boil. Cook pasta just to al dente.

Once the pancetta starts to brown, lower the heat and add chopped fresh oregano (about 1 ½ stems) and allow flavors to melt together. Add a few dashes of black pepper. There is no need to add salt here, as the pancetta has natural salts that will flavor the dish.

Continue to stir the Brussels sprouts to prevent burning. Add ¼ cup of the white wine and turn up the heat of the pan to high, continuing to fold the contents of the pan, until the liquid starts to dissipate.  Lower the heat back down to medium and add the mushrooms. Fold over gently to combine the mushrooms and the Brussels sprouts. Drain the pancetta of most of the oil (carefully, and not near the stove), then pour the pancetta into the pan with the Brussels sprouts and mushrooms. Fold together carefully. Add cooking cream cheese and fold until melted. 

Once pasta is just al dente, remove from heat. Save ½ cup of the pasta water and drain the rest of the pasta.

Add pasta to large pan turn heat up slightly. Add heavy cream and stir.  Once all cream has been incorporated, add tablespoons of pasta water until the sauce has met the desired consistency. Add more black pepper to taste.

Use remaining oregano as garnish to serve.