balsamic brown butter, brussel sprouts, and breasts

Chicken breasts, that is. Come on - it was a B theme!

So this Jenkins family likes brussel sprouts. Who the heck knew?! We don't just tolerate them - we enjoy them. Roasted, especially. Nowadays, I cook them because I want them. Not because I feel like I need a few more greenery points to balance out the amount of carbs I choose to must consume.

I normally roast them at 400 degrees for thirty minutes [mixing a couple times] with two sliced garlic cloves and tossed with salt, pepper, and olive oil. If you want them even more crisp and nutty, longer won't hurt them. Well, if you burn them it will. You know what I mean.

I have experiments that flop [like my disgusting basil chicken salad - I still don't know what happened], and I have some that make me do that little dance of taste bud joy. Monday night was the latter.

I had every intention of using gnocchi for this recipe, but the 18 different stores I visited didn't have any. Next time - I'll just make my own. Take THAT grocery stores. Instead I used packaged three-cheese tortellini. And, I've got to say, I'm really really glad I did.

To begin, cook pasta according to directions until al dente. I was so focused on my sauce that my poor little guys cooked longer than directed. Keep them in mind.

In a saucepan, brown three tablespoons of [good and real] butter, two sliced or chopped garlic cloves, and a fourth of a cup of pine nuts over medium heat. I had never really browned butter on purpose before, so I was a little...nervous. Or obsessive.

I think it should take about three minutes. I don't really know because the butter would get a little brown, I'd take it off the heat, and I'd then decide it needed more time. I'd be afraid I was about to burn it and start the vicious cycle all over again. Just leave it on the heat, keep stirring, and remove it from the heat after all the foam has subsided. I probably should have gone a little longer. Learning!

At this point, everything inside of you will want to forget that you have people to feed, and you'll be tempted to take your sauce pan, pull up a chair, and spoon feed yourself every last bite. This is normal.

Off of the heat, I added one tablespoon of balsamic vinegar and watched in amazement of the fancy reaction it had. Stir well, but don't sniff too hard. It'll singe your nose hairs. That's how you know its gooood. 

Drain your pasta, add it to the sauce pan, and toss.

Serve immediately. We enjoyed it with our roasted brussel sprouts and grilled chicken [with this marinade].

I took the leftovers to work the next day - that was a huge success. Both having leftovers that reheat well and simply just having leftovers. Hooray for self control!

Printable recipe here.