This chorizo pasta recipe is a staple in my household - and the best thing is that it's so easy to make and always a hit with my fussy four-year-old and hungry teenager Get the latest top news stories sent straight to your inbox with our daily newsletter We have more newsletters Get the latest top news stories sent straight to your inbox with our daily newsletter We have more newsletters The two most challenging aspects of adulthood are the never-ending laundry pile and deciding what to have for dinner every day. So, after a long day at work, I often go into autopilot and whip up my family's favourite pasta dish. Our 'red pasta' is a hit that even my picky, chicken nugget-loving four-year-old adores.
In fact, my teenager claims it's the meal he'd choose if he returned from a deserted desert island, so it comes highly recommended. Although it feels like I'm revealing a family secret, its basic pantry ingredients mean I should share this quick and easy recipe with others who dread the thought of deciding what's for dinner for the rest of their lives. Once you've mastered it, it becomes an ideal go-to for tasty midweek meals, and any leftovers make excellent lunches the next day, reports the Liverpool Echo .
Ingredients: 500g of penne pasta. 500g of passata. One diced onion (optional: add a stick of celery and a carrot also diced for extra veggies and flavour).
One-third of a diced chorizo ring. A tablespoon of your preferred cooking oil. A heaped teaspoon of garlic paste (I use the jar for convenience, but fresh can be used, I'd recommend two large cloves, but you may prefer more).
Three tablespoons of balsamic vinegar. One beef stock cube. Teaspoon of oregano (optional - I've made it without many times).
Salt and pepper to taste. Grated cheese of your choice to serve. Method: 1.
Start by getting the pasta boiling in salted water, typically done after dicing the onion. 2. As the pasta cooks, heat oil in a separate pan, add the onion and soften on medium heat until it turns transparent, then add the garlic.
3. Toss in your chorizo and continue cooking until the onion starts to brown and absorbs the oil from the chorizo. 4.
Pour in the balsamic vinegar and let it cook off in the pan, which helps to mellow the sharpness of the vinegar and leaves a delightful sweet taste instead. 5. Crumble in your stock cube directly into the pan.
6. Next, add the passata and oregano if using, along with a pinch of salt and a good amount of pepper. Reduce the heat and let it simmer until the pasta is cooked.
7. Drain the cooked pasta and mix it with the sauce. Serve with a sprinkle of grated cheese and savour your meal.
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