Shaving Brussels Sprouts with Pancetta and Balsamic is a unique and beautiful way to serve this versatile vegetable. We let our food processor do all the work, but you can get the same results with a knife and a steady hand. It’s a wonderful side dish for your holiday table serve alongside The Perfect Roast Turkey!

👉 The Ingredients
The simple ingredients of shaved Brussels sprouts, crispy pancetta, and tangy balsamic vinegar come together to create an elevated side dish bursting with flavor and texture. Find ingredient notes (including substitutions and variations) below.
🥓 Substituition and Variations
- Vegetables – Look for bright green Brussels sprouts in the produce section or at your farmer’s market. Fresh is best, but frozen can work, too. It will be easier to slice them with a knife, rather than shredding in your food processor. Broccoli or cauliflower can be substituted. Again, slice, don’t shred them.
- Pancetta – Cubed pancetta can be usually be found near the deli section of most well-stocked supermarkets. If you can’t find it, ask the person at the deli. Bacon is a great option. Or, to make the dish completely vegetarian, omit it.
- Balsamic and wine – Aged balsamic gives a wonderful tang to the dish, but you can easily substitute red wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar. If you don’t prefer to cook with wine, substitute chicken broth or homemade vegetable stock.
See the recipe card (with video) below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
👩🏼🍳 How To Make Shaved Brussels Sprouts with Pancetta and Balsamic
- Step 1: Trim the ends of the Brussels sprouts, then shred them in your food processor
- Step 2: Cook the pancetta until crispy in a large skillet.
- Step 3: Remove the pancetta and deglaze the pan with white (or Madiera) wine.
- Step 4: Add the shaved Brussels sprouts and sauté for 5 minutes.
- Step 5: Stir in the salt, pepper, pancetta, toasted pine nuts, and balsamic
- Step 6: Serve at once!
Expert Tips
When selecting Brussels sprouts at the market, look for medium-sized bright green sprouts. When slicing them, remove any dark color exterior leaves and use a knife to cut the rough ends off of each sprout. If you don’t have a food processor, then use the same knife to thinly slice the sprouts. You’ll get the same end result, it will just take a little longer. The sprouts can be sliced up to 12 hours in advance of cooking them.
🙋🏽♂️ Frequently Asked Question
This dish is best served fresh, but you can prepare the shaved Brussels sprouts and toast the pine nuts a day ahead; store them separately in the refrigerator and combine with crispy pancetta and balsamic vinegar just before serving to maintain texture and flavor.
You can use a mandolin, but be very careful! A sharp knife will work, too.
Yes, it is.
Expert Tip
But be careful when toasting the pine nuts, or pignoli’s; they don’t take long at all to get nice and toasty. Place them on a baking sheet and roast at 350°F for only about 2 minutes, or until just starting to turn a darker brown. Keep an eye on them! They burn quickly!
🥘 Other Classic Side Recipes
Ready to make the best side dish in town? Go for it!
And when you do, be sure to take a photo of it, post it on Instagram, and tag @HowToFeedaLoon and hashtag #HowToFeedaLoon!
Shaved Brussels Sprouts with Pancetta and Balsamic
Video
Equipment
- Large skillet
Ingredients
- 2 lbs Brussels sprouts dark leaves removed and rough stems trimmed
- 6 oz pancetta cubed
- 2 tablespoon Madiera wine or white wine
- 1¼ teaspoon Kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper freshly ground
- ⅓ cup pine nuts lightly toasted
- 2 tablespoon balsamic glaze
Instructions
- Use the slicing attachment on a food processor to shred the sprouts. Or, use a sharp knife to thinly slice the sprouts. Set aside.2 lbs Brussels sprouts
- Cook the pancetta in a large skillet until cooked and crispy. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the pancetta to a plate lined with paper towels.6 oz pancetta
- In the same skillet, add the wine and de-glaze the pan (scraping up cooked on pancetta bits) over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 2 minutes.2 tablespoon Madiera wine
- Add the Brussels sprouts and cook until softened and somewhat reduced, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in 1 teaspoon of salt, as well as the pepper, pancetta, toasted pine nuts, and balsamic glaze. Remove from heat and taste. Add more salt if desired. Transfer to warmed serving dish and serve at once!1¼ teaspoon Kosher salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper, ⅓ cup pine nuts, 2 tablespoon balsamic glaze
Kathy says
Hi Kris, I want to bring this dish to a dinner party for Christmas and I’d like to know if I should under cook them and finish at the hosts home. I made a double batch for thanksgiving and never got any they went so quickly! Hopefully, I’ll taste them this time
Kris Longwell says
Hi Kathy! Well, first off…congrats on what sounds like a fantastic Thanksgiving feast! Woo hoo! (Doesn’t that make you happy?). You could undercook everything and then finish up at the hosts’ home, and you’d get great results. But, honestly, you could really prepare the dish completely and then reheat on the stove, or in the oven (or even the microwave) and still get perfectly fine results. Whichever works best for you and your host should still deliver deliciously yummy results. Please let us know how it all turns out, and Merry Christmas! (and be sure to get a helping for yourself this time! LOL!). xoxo
Lynn says
Hi there……where I live the cost of pine nuts is like a mortgage payment lol….what would you suggest is a good substitute
Kris Longwell says
Hi Lynn! We like them for the crunch so you could substitute with another nut such almonds, pecans or walnuts. Keep us posted if you make it!
Lynn says
Thanks so much for getting back to me so quickly. If I can find Brussels sprouts I’ll be making them and I’ll post a pic. Love your recipes, Merry Christmas
D. Larson says
Hi Kris and Wesley,
This comment has nothing to do with the recipe above, but didn’t know where else to post it. I usually don’t air my complaints, but because I enjoy you two so much and want to keep tuned in, I have to air my complaint. Why are you now inserting an ad into the middle of a video?? It is irritating and actually breaks one’s concentration and enjoyment of the recipe you are sharing. I truly hope it is not motivated by an additional few dollars into your coffers. Please reconsider!
Kris Longwell says
Hi there! Thank you so much for letting us know your thoughts. Those mid-video ads were implemented by a third-party ad agency. We have disabled them so they will no longer appear. We do, unfortunately, have to monetize our site in order to run our business, but we never want to do that at the expense of our readers’ experience. We agree with you, they were too much and super annoying. Thank you again for so politely letting us know your thoughts. That will ALWAYS take precedent over anything we do. All the best, Kris & Wesley
D. Larson says
Thank you, Kris, for taking the time to answer my complaint! I understand that running a business requires difficult decisions, but am so pleased that you accepted my complaint so graciously and even went so far as to agree with my annoyance. You couldn’t have been kinder and I will be staying tuned in . . . as long as you and Wesley keep cooking!!