The most challenging aspects of adulthood are the never-ending laundry pile and deciding what to have for dinner every day.
After a long day at work, I often find myself on autopilot, preparing my family’s favourite pasta dish.
Our ‘red pasta’ is a hit with everyone, even my picky four-year-old who is obsessed with chicken nuggets.
My teenager even claims it’s the meal he’d choose if he returned from a deserted desert island, so it comes highly recommended.
Although it feels like I’m revealing a family secret, the basic pantry ingredients mean I should share this quick and easy recipe with others who dread the thought of deciding what’s for dinner for the rest of their lives, reports the Liverpool Echo.
Once you’ve mastered it, it becomes an ideal go-to for tasty midweek meals, and any leftovers make excellent lunches the next day.
Ingredients:
500g of penne pasta.
500g of passata.
One diced onion (optional: add a stick of celery and a carrot also diced for extra veggies and flavour).
One-third of a diced chorizo ring.
A tablespoon of your preferred cooking oil.
A heaped teaspoon of garlic paste (I use the jar for convenience, but fresh can be used, I would recommend two large cloves, but adjust to taste).
Three tablespoons of balsamic vinegar.
One beef stock cube.
Teaspoon of oregano (optional – I have made it without many times).
Salt and pepper to taste.
Grated cheese of your choice to serve.
Method:
1. Begin by setting the pasta to boil in salted water, typically done post chopping the onion.
2. Concurrently, in a separate pan, introduce the oil followed by the onion and allow it to soften on medium heat until it achieves transparency, then add the garlic.
3. Introduce your chorizo and continue cooking until the onion begins to brown, absorbing the oil from the chorizo.
4. Incorporate the balsamic vinegar and let it cook off in the pan, this process reduces the sharpness of the vinegar, leaving behind a delightful sweet flavour.
5. Crumble your stock cube directly into the pan.
6. Proceed to add the passata and oregano if available, along with a pinch of salt and a generous amount of pepper.
Reduce the heat until the mixture bubbles and the pasta is fully cooked.
7. Drain the cooked pasta and mix it with the sauce.
Serve with a sprinkle of grated cheese and savour your meal.
