Garlic!

(Please excuse the horrible photos that my camera takes of food. I hope to get a new camera soon so that my food looks more appealing. I promise is tastes good-unless I say otherwise in the post)

My family is one giant group of foodies.



My mom has been cooking since, I dunno, forever, I guess. And she has been wowing us with her magnificent dishes since before I was born. I was reaping the rewards of her talent since I was in the womb (I ate what she ate, and I could not wait to experience that gravy firsthand).

My dad is less of a chef (he can make a mean piece of reheated pizza), but you can't say that he doesn't appreciate every kind of food known to man. He's awesome to cook for because he's pretty much willing to try anything. Primo's hoagies to spicy Indian, he loves it all.

My sister and I tend to share a love of strange grains, nut butters, and all fruits and veggies. The two of us can get through a pint of raspberries in literally seconds. She loves to cook and experiment and explore the famous restaurants of New York City with her boyfriend.

My brother is an enigma. His male teenager-ness has always allowed him to enjoy the most unhealthy choices at little to no consequence (gggggrrrrrrrrr). As a 13-year-old, I would wallow away in my room as the smell of hot dogs with a toasted bun slathered in cream cheese wafted into my room at three in the morning. Oh, and also those bacon, egg, and cheese, sandwiches. Today, he orders takeout from only the classiest of Philly restaurants and when we are out to eat, he always gets a steak. That fist sized piece eaten by men in suits in a rush to discuss very important things, wanting to get back to their tight schedules-and also by my t-shirt-wearing brother that went to Vermont to go skiing on a whim this weekend.

I could spend hours talking about the other members of my family, as each one has a distinct love of all things food. But, I have homework, so I can cover everyone else in different posts.



However, the point of this long rant is that, knowing how much we love food, family members often give presents to my family in the form of something edible, or something that can make something edible.

For the past two years, my lovely aunt Bethy has sent us artisan pastas from the company Rossi Pasta. The flavors are amazing and I decided that I should take some packages to school with me, because, well, I wanted them. I make myself lunch for the week every Sunday, so I knew I would get good use out of them.



The first flavor I went with was Garlic! Fettucini. And boy was it garlicky. I carried a distinct aroma with me everywhere I went from January 30th to February 3rd. The aroma of deliciousness.

I chose to pair this pasta with roasted brussels sprouts, lemon juice, and more garlic of course! It was a delightfully simple dish that was infinitely pleasing to my tummy. I highly recommend it for a quick dinner or lunch.

Ingredients:
-1 package of Garlic! Fettucini, or just regular fettucini from your favorite brand
-2 12-oz packages of brussels sprouts (or just enough to fill a sheet pan)
-1 lemon
-3 cloves of garlic
-olive oil
-salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Start heating up a large pot of water and preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Wash the brussels sprouts and then halve them and place on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place sheet pan in oven and cook for 30-40 minutes, until crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. When done roasting, squeeze the juice from half a lemon over the top.
4. In the mean time, mince the garlic cloves and saute until lightly brown in a pan with olive oil and salt. When the brussels sprouts and garlic are done, dump the garlic onto the sprouts and mix.
5. When the water comes to a boil, add lots of salt and then the pasta. Cook according to the directions on the box until the pasta is al dente.
6. Reserver about a cup of pasta water before draining. Drain the pasta and put into a bowl. Add the sprouts and garlic and the juice from the other half of the lemon. Add a drizzle of olive oil and pasta water to loosen the pasta.
7. Add salt and pepper to taste and enjoy!



Notes:
I recommend adding some spice to this dish as well. A sprinkle of red pepper flakes would be delightful.
If I had a zester, I would definitely add lemon zest to the sprouts and to the pasta at the end (I stupidly left mine at home).
When I would reheat the pasta, I added a drizzle of balsamic vinegar and a sprinkle of balsamic sea salt. It was amazing. Do it.

-Meri