CHORIZO PASTA WITH LASHINGS OF CHERRY TOMATOES AND ROCKET

This is a perfect recipe for June, with tomatoes and rocket both bang in season right now. I’m a sucker for this any time of the year, but if you pop down to Real Foods on Broughton Street they are stocking the most wonderful variety of tomatoes at the moment – big and small, every shade from soft orange to a dark blood red, and even pumpkin-shaped heirloom ones!  Honestly, every time I go in there I am overwhelmed by their selection and vow never to buy my veggies anywhere else ever again (this time I mean it).

Before I got married this was probably my go-to dish at least twice a week (OK, maybe three times a week … don’t judge me).  You could be forgiven for thinking it was because it’s so easy to make – I swear it takes longer to clean up afterwards than it takes to cook – and you’d be partly right, but in all honesty I love this because it’s insanely tasty. 

The abundance of cherry tomatoes and rocket makes it a really fresh dish, perfect for the warmer months, and is what elevates it from just ‘an easy supper’ to ‘a delicious and easy supper’. 

Green and red pesto both work well here so go for whichever you prefer. I also tend to use the whole packet of rocket for two people, but that’s because I am a fiend for the stuff.  And if there are any leftovers (big big if in my household) this is good cold, like a pasta salad, for lunch the next day. ☺

 

Feeds 2.  Cooking time 15 minutes.

YOU'LL NEED …

2 sausage-sized chorizo sausages or half a U-shaped one (pre-cooked)
1 pack cherry tomatoes, halved
½ packet of rocket
1½ tbsp pesto or black tapenade
Balsamic vinegar
Olive oil for cooking
Penne or fusilli pasta
Salt for seasoning

OTHER STUFF YOU'LL NEED ...

Large saucepan
Sieve

THERE REALLY IS BUGGER-ALL PREP TO DO, SO ... COOK!

Bring a large saucepan of salted water up to boiling before adding your pasta to it.  Set the timer according to the pasta’s instructions and cook until al dente (usually around 10 minutes).

While the pasta is cooking, halve the cherry tomatoes and cut the chorizo into bite-sized pieces – I usually slice into pound coin sized pieces and then halve them again.  Unless you’re using properly raw chorizo, don’t forget to peel off the sausage casing first!  If you don’t, it’s still edible, but a little chewier than it should be (says the voice of experience).

When the pasta has cooked, drain it and set to one side.  In the same saucepan, heat the oil and brown the chorizo for 1 or 2 minutes.

Then add the cherry tomatoes for about 1 minute, or until the skin is just beginning to break, before sloshing in a generous slug of balsamic vinegar and salt to season.

Next add the cooked pasta and the pesto, and stir it all up until the pasta is well coated in everything.

Finally, turn off the heat and add the rocket, stirring it all up again, and let the heat of the dish wilt the rocket a little before serving it up.

There are plenty more recipes, tasty tips and foodie thoughts on Fiona Booth's own blog at www.fifigoesnom.com/