Post-COVID Pasta

This is my first recipe on here. It wasn’t going to be but a year into the Pandemic I caught COVID-19 and lost my sense of smell and taste. My smell is back, my taste is coming back and as such This is food is designed for me and my post COVID taste buds. If you’re COVID free, maybe just add less garlic?

JUMP TO RECIPE

This is a quick, cheap and easy recipe. It’s comfort food and it takes about 20 minutes to make. You can add as many or as few of your favourite veggies and because I’m still getting over COVID you can taste and adjust as you go. The only real expense is the chorizo (which cost me £2.50 at Tesco) and the cherry tomatoes – because I’m a snob and I don’t like buying the 65p ones and buy the expensive ones instead. Rustica Paste might be harder to come by in smaller supermarkets and so I’ve linked to a very simple and easy recipe but alternatively you can use Tomato Puree.

I originally made this with penne pasta but as its comfort food, I’ve changed to my favourite pasta bows – you can use your favourite pasta too but I would suggest a pasta shape with lots of grooves to soak up the sauce (e.g. Farfalle, Fusilli, Penne)

If you’re vegetarian, you can replace the chorizo in the recipe with aubergine or courgettes.

POST-COVID PASTA

Serves 4 Prep: 5 mins Cook: 20 mins

You will need:

1.5 tsp Dried Rosemary
1.5 tsp Garlic Granules
2 Tbsp Rustica Paste (Alternate: Tomato Puree)
1 tsp Cayenne Pepper
1 tsp Chilli Powder
1 tsp Paprika
1 tsp Oregano
1 Tbsp Italian Seasoning

5 Cloves Garlic (Smoked is optional but recommended)
250g Chorizo (Chopped into coins)
300g Farfalle Pasta
200g Cherry Tomatoes
1 Medium Onion
75ml Cream

METHOD

1. In a large pan cook the pasta as per instructions – slightly undercook it as it will finish cooking in the sauce.
2. In a large frying pan, fry the chorizo coins on a very low heat. You don’t need oil, allow them to soften for 5 minutes.
3. Whilst the chorizo is cooking, slice the cherry tomatoes in half and dice the onion. Peel and chop the garlic (or use a garlic press.)
4. Add the onion to the chorizo and then add the rosemary and garlic granules and stir through.
5. Add the tomatoes, garlic, rustica paste and remaining spices. Stir and allow to simmer for 2 minutes.
6. When you drain your pasta – keep a small amount of pasta water to the side. Once drained, keep the pasta in the large pot.
7. Add the cream and allow to reduce for 2 minutes. Once reduced – spoon the sauce into the pasta pot.
8. Using the remaining pasta water – pour it into the frying pan and use it to catch all the remnants of the sauce. Add the water with remaining sauce into the pasta.
9. Stir the sauce through the pasta and cook for 2 minutes until heated through.
   

Done!

Let me know if you try it, and whether it tastes nice with the full use of your taste buds because I really enjoy this but my tastes are dulled!

If you make this, share a pic on instagram and tag me @culinary_lingus I’d love to see your creations!