At the Halifax Food Festival the other weekend I bought some Rare Breed Chorizo from the Three Little Pigs company based in Beverley and threw together a simple supper with some pasta, courgette and red pepper. But not before I’d cut a chunk and necked it. The texture is wonderful, and the meat has a piquancy which does wicked things to the end of your tongue. There’s nothing added to the meat other than smoked pimento, garlic, fennel and habanero chilli. They’ve been around a while – they won a Great Taste Award last year so I’ve been a bit slow on the uptake, but better late than never. Order online!
Ingredients:
250g small pasta – orrechietti is good
Big chunk of Rare Breed Chorizo
1 red or orange pepper
1 courgette
350g mushrooms
2 tbsp groundnut oil
350ml single cream
Grated parmesan
Basil leaves
Method:
Put the pasta into boiling salted water with a good pinch of salt and cook until al dente. Slice the chorizo about 1cm thick and the peppers and courgette into large chunks. Chop the mushrooms, keeping them fairly chunky too. Heat the oil in a big pan, throw the chorizo in and toss around for a few minutes, then add the pepper, courgette and mushrooms. Drain the pasta, turn it into a large ovenproof dish and add the vegetables. Pour in the cream and season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, mixing together thoroughly. Sprinkle a fistful of parmesan over it and bake in a medium oven for about 20 minutes or until the cheese is golden brown. Tear the basil leaves and throw on the lot. Deliciously creamy and spiky. Just like me.