Rigatoni with Brussels Sprouts, Pancetta, Chestnuts and Cream

Do you love or hate Brussels sprouts? I love them and think if you don't like them, it's because of years of people mistreating them. Over boiling them and serving them with little more than salt and a little butter. I really like their natural flavour and think they're still a bit underrated. When I made Christmas dinner a couple years ago, everyone loved the Brussels, I'm talking seconds and everything. This recipe is pretty similar really, except for the addition of the pasta. You will need:

• Rigatoni (I like Mezze Rigatoni - the shorter fatter kind)
• Double cream
• Garlic
• Pancetta (which could be substituted for bacon lardons)
• Thyme
• Seasoning
• Ready cooked chestnuts
• Peeled Brussels Sprouts
• Olive oil

I usually make sure I have all my ingredients for any pasta sauce ready to go. Plonk my pasta in the hot water and then move quickly with the sauce. So go ahead and get your pasta on the go. In a hot pan with a little olive oil add your chopped pancetta, when nice and crispy, lower the heat and add in some minced or finely sliced garlic and some thyme., give that a couple of minutes and add your peeled and quartered Brussels sprouts. Cooking on a low - medium heat, making sure your sprouts are getting a little colour. Then lower the heat and add your cream, so it's simmering along. Add enough cream so it's enough for a sauce but not so it's a soup.  Then when your pasta has a couple minutes to go, add to the sauce and let it cook with it for a couple minutes, absorbing the sauce as it does. Season and eat immediately with a healthy dose of grated parmesan. Yum.