Brussels Sprouts with Chestnuts and Pancetta (2024)

These Brussels Sprouts with Chestnuts and Pancetta take only 15 minutes to cook, making it the perfect side dish! Recipe with step-by-step photos.

Brussels Sprouts

For me, Brussels sprouts is an essential side dish at Christmas. It happens to be an ingredient which is abundantly in season from about autumn and well into the late winter, and I try to cook with it often during this time of the year, although it really does become the star of the show at Christmas.

As a side dish, Brussels sprouts happens to work beautifully alongside most main dishes.

How to Buy Brussels Sprouts

I prefer to cook with small to very small Brussels sprouts which are about the size of large grapes or small cherry tomatoes.

Small Brussels sprouts are generally sweeter and nuttier in taste, whilst larger Brussels sprouts have a more pronounced bitterness.

I happen to like the slight bitterness of Brussels sprouts, but if I am serving this dish to guests, I try to buy smaller Brussels sprouts which are generally more appealing and easier to eat.

It also helps with the presentation if the Brussels sprouts are roughly the same size as the chestnuts.

And if you are cooking for a large crowd, it might also make sense to buy Brussels sprouts which have already been prepared and washed.

Brussels Sprouts with Chestnuts

In Europe, chestnuts are abundant in winter and I look for every opportunity to serve them, whether as part of a main dish (see my Celeriac and Chestnut Soup), side dish or dessert (like my Mont Blanc Chocolate Pavlova).

Brussels sprouts happen to pair beautifully with chestnuts, and the recipe below is one which I have been making for nearly every year for a decade.

Brussels Sprouts Recipe

The following Brussels sprouts recipe is adapted from Nigella Christmas by Nigella Lawson.

I love the combination of Brussels sprouts with chestnuts, and the addition of pancetta or bacon gives the dish a lovely saltiness which will convert anyone skeptical about being presented with Brussels sprouts on their plate.

It seems that my family will only eat these Brussels sprouts with the addition of chestnuts and pancetta; my husband is always asking me to add more chestnuts, whilst the children are always fighting for every cube of crispy pancetta. But if it means that they will eat their Brussels sprouts, I’m happy!

So depending on your family’s wishes, you can increase or decrease the quantities of the ingredients to your liking.

How to Cook Brussels Sprouts

Trim the ends of the Brussels sprouts and remove any discoloured leaves.

If your Brussels sprouts are quite large, cut an “X” in the stem which will help them to cook more quickly.

Cook the Brussels sprouts in a pot of salted boiling water for about 5 minutes, and then drain.

Heat some olive oil in a large saucepan and cook the pancetta until golden and crispy.

If you can’t find pancetta (which is Italian-style bacon), you could also use French lardon or thick-cut bacon.

Once the pancetta is browned, add the onions and garlic and stir them through for about 1 minute until the onion starts to turn translucent.

Add the Brussels sprouts and stir them through the pancetta until they are all coated in the oil.

Carefully separate the chestnuts and add them to the saucepan. As the chestnuts are already cooked, you only need to cook them for a few minutes to warm through.

Season with salt and pepper, and garnish with fresh parsley before serving.

More Chestnut Recipes

If you are looking for more chestnut recipes, you might also enjoy:

Celeriac and Chestnut Soup

Chestnut Bundt Cake with Chocolate Chips

Chestnut Soup with Parsley and Bacon

Chocolate Pavlova with Chestnut Purée

Mont Blanc Chocolate Pavlova

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Update

This recipe was first published on 17 April 2019. It has been updated with more comprehensive recipe notes.