This Lemon Parmesan Brussels Sprout Pasta is quick to make in under 30 minutes. Made with shredded Brussels sprouts, lemon zest, lemon juice, and grated parmesan cheese. Simple, flavorful, and fast…the perfect easy, healthy dinner.
When I want something cozy, easy, and fast for dinner on a busy weeknight, an easy vegetarian pasta recipe is my go-to.
And this Lemon Parmesan Brussels Sprouts Pasta has become the perfect quick dinner. Our family loves it and I love that it gets the veggies in! Super simple to make with just 9 ingredients, but full of flavor thanks to sautéed shallots, lemon juice + zest, and Parmesan cheese. You can shred the Brussels sprouts for this recipe yourself or buy the pre-shredded version at the store to make this vegetarian dinner even easier to make. Once prep is done, this veggie pasta dish is ready in about 20 minutes (depending on what kind of pasta you use)! Vegetarian and easily gluten free, this recipe makes about 4 servings. Bump up the protein in this Brussels sprouts recipe by tossing in your favorite protein.
This dish is best enjoyed right after it’s made. However, you can cook the Brussels sprouts part of the dish a day ahead and reheat it in a pan before cooking and adding the pasta.
Tips
- Use fresh Brussels sprouts. I love a good recipe that utilizes frozen veggies, but I do not think frozen Brussels would work well in this dish. Brussels are often frozen whole and are quite soft once defrosted and do not sauté well, in my experience.
- Make this Brussels sprouts pasta recipe fresh. Meal prep is great, but not all recipes work as a make ahead option. I find this recipe is best enjoyed right after it’s made.
- If you REALLY want to make it ahead. You can do a little prep ahead so you can streamline dinner a bit more. Simply cook the Brussels sprouts part of the dish up to a day ahead and reheat it in a pan while you cook the pasta. Once pasta is done cooking, add it to the reheated Brussels sprouts.
Suggested Adaptations
- Want to make this dairy-free? You can leave out the parmesan from this Brussels sprouts pasta. Just make sure to taste and add more salt and pepper to adjust the seasoning.
- Up the more flavor. Top the final dish with some toasted chopped walnuts or almonds. You could also make some garlic breadcrumbs and sprinkle those on top for some extra flavor and texture.
- Use any pasta you like for this recipe –whole wheat, gluten free, or bean-based pastas will work well.
- If you don’t need this pasta to be vegetarian, chicken or pork Italian sausage would be a great addition. You could also add some cooked chicken or shrimp.
Other veggie-loaded pasta recipes
- No-Boil Creamy Vegetable Pasta Bake
- Quick & Easy Creamy Broccoli Pasta
- Pesto Veggie Pasta Salad
- One-Pot Cheesy Butternut Squash Pasta
- Baked Pasta with Eggplant
- Baked Spinach Artichoke Pasta
- 15-Minute Spinach Mac and Cheese
Did you try this veggie-loaded pasta recipe and now you’re hungry for more?
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Lemon Parmesan Brussels Sprout Pasta
Ingredients
- 8 ounces spaghetti or pasta of choice
- 4 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil divided
- 1 pound Brussels sprouts thinly sliced (or 1 bag shredded Brussels sprouts)
- 1 cup thinly sliced shallot or red onion
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt plus more to taste
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper plus more to taste
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon zest
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
- ⅓ cup grated parmesan cheese plus more for garnish
Instructions
- Boil a large pot of salted water. Cook the spaghetti 1 minute less than the package instructions. Drain pasta, reserving 1 cup of the pasta cooking water.
- Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sliced Brussels sprouts and the shallot/onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables start to brown around the edges, about 5 minutes.
- Turn the heat down to medium and add the salt, pepper, garlic, and lemon zest. Cook until the garlic is fragrant, and the vegetables are tender, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Stir in the lemon juice and ½ cup of the reserved pasta water. Add the spaghetti and drizzle with the remaining Tablespoon of olive oil. Toss the spaghetti with the cooked vegetables and continue to cook for a minute to allow the sauce to coat the pasta.
- Turn off the heat, then stir in the grated parmesan. If the pasta sauce seems too dry, stir in a splash or two more of the pasta water. Taste and season with more salt and pepper as needed.
- To finish, serve pasta on a platter or individual plates then top with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, a few grinds of black pepper, and extra grated parmesan cheese.
Notes
Nutrition
The nutritional information is provided as an estimate only and may vary based on the product type, servings and other factors. If you are following a diet, please consult with a professional nutritionist or your doctor. Stay healthy!
Comments
I made this for my family (2 young and picky kids included) and they loved it. There were leftovers and it was even great the next day.
I’m so happy to hear that, Jules! Thanks for sharing!
Winner Winner Brussels dinner! Just finished a bowl – it was delicious!!! Even without the zest (my grocery store didn’t have organic lemons, and the pesticides just freak me out too much). I remedied the missing citrus punch by sprinkling a healthy dose of sumac onto my portion, worked really well in my opinion. Thank you for this lovely vegetarian recipe!
Ha! I love this review, Eva! And I love that you enjoyed it as much as we do. This might be one of our new favorite easy dinners.
YUM I’m really loving this for dinner tonight!! Easy and delicious, and I paired it with ready made balsamic chicken from Trader Joe’s. The sauce is just perfect!
Oh that pairing sounds delicious, Cameron! We love to add garlic shrimp to it sometimes.