Day 40: Mediterranean pasta

For a change tonight, I made Mediterranean pasta. I think this may possibly have been only the second pasta dish I’ve made from the cookbook but it was a great recipe because many of the ingredients would be things that are usually found in the cupboards or fridge. That alone makes it a good recipe for nights when you don’t want to have to put in too much effort.

Firstly, I sautéed onions and garlic in butter and olive oil for 15 minutes. I then added chopped red pepper and sliced chorizo for 3 minutes before pouring in a tin of tomatoes, chicken stock, sugar, dried pasta and salt. Once it came up to the boil, I simmered it for 12 minutes. I finished it off by crumbling mozzarella and freshly chopped basil into it. I left the black olives out of the recipe though.

The verdict... 

Dear Husband scored the dish 8 marks out of 10. He normally finds pasta quite bland but he said that there were lots of flavour and different textures. I strongly suspect that the inclusion of chorizo has a lot to do with that. Chorizo seems to be something which everyone should have in stock as it brings so much flavour to dishes. Dear Son ate a full bowl of it which was impressive. I also liked this recipe for a number of reasons. Firstly, because the leftovers can be stuck in the fridge and will do for lunch or tea the next day. I really love those kinds of recipes. Secondly, the only fresh ingredients I needed were a red pepper and basil leaves so if you have to whip up something from things you normally have in stock, then this is the dish to make. Thirdly, it really was an easy recipe to put together with minimal fuss. So there you go. Another one that’s made The List.

Just thinking there that considering I’ve just completed 40 days of recipes, if this was Lent, today would be Easter Sunday. Thankfully though, this is sooo much more fun J