Wednesday, September 17, 2014

penne with chorizo and broccoli

It is always handy to have some chorizo in the house. They are kinda like my emergency food. I put them on pizzas, add them to fried rice and use them to make pasta sauces.

They add instant flavour to any dish, and they keep really well too.

My mother-in-law lives about an hour away from Margaret River in Perth and every time we go to see her, we would spend a few days at Margaret River. There is this little farm/shop in Margaret River called the Margaret River Venison and they sell the yummiest meat, sausages and a huge variety of smoked and cured meats.
On her last trip to Perth, I got my cousin to bring some chorizo back and today, I am using the kangaroo chorizo to make a pasta.

Of course you can substitute this with any type of chorizo.

Since chorizo is very flavourful, you don't need to use a lot of it.

In a heated Dutch oven, I added a little olive oil and sauteed the chorizo. which I had sliced thinly so that both sides were lightly browned. This should take about a minute.
I transferred the chorizo onto a plate lined with some paper towel. This was set aside.

In the same Dutch oven, I added the onions and sauteed that for about one to two minutes, or until the onions turned soft and slightly translucent.
I added the garlic and cooked that for 30 seconds then added the red pepper.
Once the pepper had softened (it would not take very long), I added sliced mushroom.
I added some salt, then the broccoli and mushroom stock. You can also use chicken stock.
The chorizo was returned to the Dutch oven.
I added chopped tomatoes and gave everything a good stir.
 
To make a sauce, I also added pureed tomato, some bay leaves and pasta seasoning (you can add oregano and basil if you do not have pasta seasoning).
I added more salt and black pepper, gave the sauce a stir, then covered the Dutch oven. This was simmered for 15 minutes.
While that happened, I cooked the penne according to the manufacturer's instructions. The pasta was added to the sauce (thin it with a little pasta water if the sauce is too thick) and stirred to combine.

Finally, I checked the seasonings, then add some chilli flakes and chopped Italian parsley.
That's it!

Serve the dish hot, and top with shaved Parmesan and more chopped parsley.
This is one of my favourite pasta dishes.

It's really flavourful and quick and easy to prepare -  my idea of a perfect one-pot dinner!

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RECIPE
Penne with Chorizo and Broccoli (Serves 4-6)

Ingredients:
100-150g chorizo - I used kangaroo chorizo
1/2 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, sliced
1/2 red pepper, seeds removed and diced
100g brown mushrooms, sliced
1 small head of broccoli, cut into bite size pieces
1/2 cup chicken or mushroom stock
1 can chopped tomato
1/4 cup tomato puree
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoons pasta seasoning (or a mix of dried basil and oregano)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
500g pasta - I used penne
1 bunch Italian parsley, chopped
1/2 teaspoon dried chilli flakes

Method:
1. Fry chorizo in a little olive oil until brown. Remove from oil and place to drain on kitchen towels. Set aside.
2. In the same oil, saute the onion for about 2-3 minutes, until the onion becomes soft and translucent. Add garlic and saute for another 30 seconds.
3. Add red pepper and mushroom. Stir to combine. Season with some salt and pepper. Add broccoli.
4. Add mushroom (or chicken) stock. Return the chorizo into the pan.
5. Add chopped and pureed tomato, bay leaves and pasta seasoning. Cover and simmer on low heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
6. Cook the pasta according to the manufacturer's instructions. When cooked, reserve one cup of pasta sauce and drain.
7. Add pasta to the pan, give everything a good stir.
8. Check seasonings, then add Italian parsley and chilli flakes. Mix, and serve immediately.

4 comments:

  1. Hi Diana,

    I'm not exactly a chorizo fan but my husband is and so I cooked food with chroizo too :D

    We usually buy the regular kind but never venture to try the kangaroos ones :p Your penne with kangaroos chorizo sounds interesting.

    Zoe

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    Replies
    1. Hey Zoe, actually if no one tells you it is kangaroo, you won't even know! I also have emu salami. That is good too! :)

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  2. Wah, Diana! I must go and buy chorizo! I love it a lot and I must try this dish. And hey, I also love broccoli!

    ReplyDelete