Luck of the Irish Pasta with Corned Beef and Brussel Sprouts
By: Leah Rodrigues
Published: March 14, 2015

Corned beef and brussel sprout pasta includes all the classic ingredients of a traditional St. Patrick's Day fest but transforms them into a completely different meal.  Caramelized whiskey shallots, tender brussel sprouts, salty bacon and corned beef are tossed in a luxurious Irish white cheddar cheese sauce with your favorite short pasta.  This is also a great recipe for leftover corned beef.
Corned Beef and Brussel Sprout Pasta:
Ingredients:
	1 (16 ounce) box of short pasta like penne, farfalle,or ziti
	6 slices of applewood smoked bacon
	12 ounces of Brussels sprouts, quartered
	2 shallots, thinly sliced
	6 ounces of corned beef, cubed
	1 oz. Irish whiskey
	1 1/2 cups heavy cream
	5 Tbsp. unsalted Irish butter
	1 cup shredded Irish white cheddar cheese
	kosher salt and freshly grated black pepper to taste
Directions:
Step 1: Put a large pot of water to boil. Once boiling, add a generous amount of salt.  Cook the pasta according to package directions.
	Step 2: Heat a saute pan over medium high heat.  Add the bacon  and cook until crisp, about 10 to 12 minutes.  Remove the bacon from pan and drain on a plate lined with a paper towel.  Once cooled, crumble the bacon into bite sized pieces.
Step 3: With the reserved bacon grease, add the brussel sprouts to the pan.  Season with salt and pepper and allow to cook for 5 to 7 minutes, covered and undisturbed. Add the shallots and corned beef and continue to cook for another 5 minutes.  Deglaze the pan with pan with the whiskey and allow all the alcohol to burn off.  Cook for another minutes and then remove from heat.  The shallots should appear translucent and sprouts tender.
	Step 4: Heat a large saucepan over high heat,  add the cream and butter and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 1 minute. Add 1/2 cup of the cheese and whisk until smooth, about 1 minute more. Remove from the heat and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Step 5: In a large bowl, toss together the pasta with the cream sauce. Add in the remaining cheese, crumbled bacon, brussel sprouts, shallots and corned beef and toss again.  Serve hot with more cheese if desired.