Pasta with Spicy Sausage and Cream

This is a dish I cook quite regularly as my boys love it, it is so quick to make and it tastes delicious. It's a recipe from Rachel Allen's first book. I usually serve this dish with a green salad and some crusty bread. Otherwise, I would serve it with a big tray of veg such as peppers, onions, mushrooms and courgettes seasoned and drizzled with some olive oil then oven-baked for about 15 minutes. I love the addition of chorizo as its smokey taste really enhances the dish. Of course, you could alternatively add ordinary cooked sausages or some cooked chicken. Just leave out the sausages for a vegetarian pasta sauce and maybe add some smoked paprika to give the sauce a little extra kick. Chorizo can be picked up in most supermarkets. The leftover chorizo can be used in a risotto or omelette. If you don t have fresh rosemary stir in some basil pesto before serving. This sauce also freezes well.

Pasta with Spicy Sausage and Cream

Ingredients
25g butter
700g ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped (or use 2x 400g tinned tomatoes)
4 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tsp rosemary, chopped
1 pinch fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tsp caster sugar
225g chorizo sausages, or kabanossi sausage, cut into ½cm slices
1 pinch dried red chilli flakes
175ml cream
2 tbsp parsley, chopped
500g penne, or use rigatoni or farfalle
50g parmesan, grated

Method
1. Melt the butter in a large saucepan, and add the chopped tomatoes, garlic and rosemary. Season to taste with salt, freshly ground black pepper and the sugar (the sugar will help bring out the sweetness of the tomatoes).
2. Cook for about five minutes, until the tomatoes have just begun to soften.
3. Add the sausage to the pan with the chilli flakes, cream and half the chopped parsley. Simmer until the mixture has reduced by half, stirring frequently. Remove from the heat and adjust the seasoning, as necessary.
4. Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water, until al dente. Drain and toss with the sauce.
5. Transfer the pasta to a large heated serving bowl and scatter with the grated Parmesan cheese and the remaining parsley.