
Brussels sprouts with pancetta is a three-ingredient Christmas side that can be ready in 30 minutes, which is ideal when you’re rushing around trying to prepare the other Christmas lunch elements.
Pancetta is a salty and fatty cut of meat, which means that as it cooks, it releases a lot of juices that are simply divine and delicious for the sprouts to be cooked in! With some Parmesan added on top, this is a real treat!
Whilst most of us love Brussels sprouts, many people have a love-hate relationship with them. The thing here, is that they can be unappetizing if they’re not prepared correctly and this Brussels sprouts with pancetta recipe really is foolproof. You’ll find that even your Christmas guests you didn’t previously like sprouts, will love them!
This recipe serves six, so if you’re feeding a big extended family, you might need to upscale and double up the quantities to cater for more people. It’s really easy to do with this recipe, you’ll simply need to buy two bags of sprouts and an extra bag of Pancetta. Although the Parmesan is an integral part of this recipe, you don’t actually need that much of it, so one block will be enough.
How to make Brussels Sprouts with Pancetta:
Method
In a frying pan, cook the pancetta over a medium heat until crispy. Leave it in the pan until you have cooked the sprouts.
Steam the sprouts for 6-8 minutes until tender, then toss in the pan with the pancetta. Put in a serving dish, season and sprinkle over the Parmesan to serve.
Ingredients
- 150g diced pancetta
- 1kg baby sprouts, trimmed
- 3tbsp grated Parmesan

Jane Curran is a freelance food editor, stylist, writer and consultant based in Cape Town. Former food director of TI Media & woman&home. All about food, wine (dipWSET), gardening and the Arsenal.
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