I'm in Tesco, I'm at the till, I've just keyed in my pin number and I'm waiting with bated breath for 'transaction complete'. The receipt processes....phew! I heave a sigh of relief and think of all the things I can cook with my purchases. Food buying has had to take a hit amongst other things. I won't compromise on quality but I have had to compromise on certain ingredients. But this has forced me to move out of my comfort zone and look for new tasty recipes that don't cost the earth. What I ADORE about this dish, depth of amazing flavours aside, is that I priced is as €2.70 per portion approx
This has become a favourite with my family. In fact I cooked a big pot for my parents last night. It's the least I can do as they are the best parents in the world. The addition of sage brings a lovely wintery dimension and the chorizo is almost nutty and sweet. It's superb. Try it tonight.
NB: Try adding a pint of stock in the sauce to make what I call a 'Stoup' (not quite a stew, not quite a soup)
Ingredients
1 chorizo ring, chopped into slices 1/2 inch thick
1 shallot, finely chopped
2 fat cloves of garlic chopped
One big bunch of sage, finely chopped
1 bayleaf
1 glass of red wine
1 500ml carton of passata
salt & pepper to season
1 teaspoon of sugar
1/2 oz dark chocolate (70% min)
2 oz grated Parmesan
1 tin of cannellini beans, drained and rinsed.
toss through your preferred fresh pasta
Method
On a heavy pan, heat a little drizzle of olive oil. Fry the chorizo on both sides until nicely browned. With a slotted spoon, transfer chorizo to separate dish
Allow the pan to cool slightly before adding the shallot and garlic. The chorizo will have left a lovely red oil in which to sweat the vegetable. Sweat on a very low heat for about 10 minutes
Turn up the heat and add the chopped sage a bayleaf and cook for a minute
Add the wine and bubble for a couple of minutes to take away the harsh winey taste
Add the tomatoes, and sugar and allow to reduce by 1/3, or to your favourite consistency.
Finish by adding the chocolate, parmesan, seasoning and beans, and toss through freshly cooked fresh pasta.
I promise you once you cook this, it'll will inevitably become a weekly fixture in your house....
