Chorizo Pasta

Print Recipe

This Chorizo Pasta is absolutely loaded with flavour and couldn't be more simple to make!

Prep Time15

Cook Time20

Total Time35

Course: Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine: Italian, Spanish

Servings:

Author: Chris Collins

Cost: £4 / $5

Equipment

Sharp Knife & Chopping Board
Food Process or Blender (for blending peppers)
Large Pan & Wooden Spoon
Large Pot & Colander (for cooking pasta)
Fine Cheese Grater

Ingredients

350g / 12.3oz Farfalle, or other short-cut pasta
2 jarred Roasted Red Peppers (see notes)
120ml / 1/2 cup Chicken Stock
150g / 5oz cured Spanish Chorizo, sliced into small half-moons
2 large Shallots, finely diced
3 cloves of Garlic, finely diced
1 tsp Chilli Flakes (see notes)
2 tbsp Tomato Puree (Tomato Paste in US)
100g / 3.5oz Mascarpone
125g / 4oz Sun Dried Tomatoes, finely diced
1/2 tsp Smoked Paprika
30g / 1oz Parmesan, grated
2 tbsp finely diced Fresh Basil
2 tbsp finely diced Fresh Parsley
Salt & Black Pepper, to taste

Instructions

Cook the pasta in a saucepan of salted boiling water until al dente. Retain a cup of the starchy pasta water before draining.
Squeeze the brine out of the red peppers (but don’t rinse) then blitz in a food processor or blender with the chicken stock until completely smooth.
Put the chorizo into a deep, cold frying pan. Set over a medium heat and gently fry for 3–4 minutes until it starts to crisp and release its oils. Add the shallots and fry for a couple of minutes until softened, then add the garlic and chilli flakes and fry for a minute longer. Stir in the tomato purée and fry for a minute, then pour in the blended red peppers. Stir in the mascarpone until well combined, then add the sun-dried tomatoes and smoked paprika.
Turn the heat down to low and stir in the cooked pasta, tossing until fully coated. Add the Parmesan, basil and half the parsley and continue stirring until the sauce thickens and clings to the pasta, using the pasta water to thin out the sauce a little if needed. If you go overboard with the pasta water, just gently simmer and stir to re-thicken.
Check for seasoning/spice and adjust if needed, then garnish with the rest of the parsley, serve and enjoy!

Video

Notes

a) Spice - 1 teaspoon of chilli flakes gives you a nice kick of heat, but certainly nothing overbearing. If you’re unsure, just start off with ½ teaspoon and work your way up at the end.

b) Jarred roasted red peppers - these typically come in a vinegary brine. While you do want to squeeze as much of the brine out of the peppers as possible, you don’t want to rinse them. A touch of brine will help balance the flavours in the sauce.

c) Homemade roasted red peppers - I prefer using pre-roasted peppers, mainly for ease, but you can make your own if you’d like. Just place 2 red peppers under the grill on high and cook until soft and completely charred on the outside, rotating as you go to ensure even coverage. Place them in a bowl, cover the bowl with cling film and leave to cool. From there, peel away the skin (a little char left on the peppers is great for flavour) then deseed and continue with the recipe.

d) Cookbook – this recipe is featured in my debut cookbook ‘Comfy’.

e) Calories - Whole recipe divided by 4.

Nutrition