First posted: Oct 30, 2013
Linguini with Chorizo and Lemony Broad Bean Pesto from ‘smitten.’
This is the second of a series of posts I’ll be doing over the next few months to give you a sneak peek into some of the recipes in my next book ‘smitten.’ which is due in stores in South Africa in February 2014. The first was my Teacup Pancakes with Quick Pear Jam, which you can find here.
This pasta dish is enchanting. It’s simple, honest food made with just a handful of ingredients, but it tastes like new beginnings and smells like spring. If you didn’t already know, I have an unabashed partiality for chorizo (and pasta!), and here against a canvas of ever-obliging linguine and sweet pea-green pesto it really shines. It’s exactly the kind of food that I love, fuss-free but big on flavour and happy-making capabilities.
Ingredients
Cooks in: Serves:2
- 200g linguine (or any dry pasta)
- 75g chorizo sausage, roughly sliced and quartered
- ½ cup shelled broad beans (or you can simply use frozen peas, thawed)
- ¼ cup ricotta
- 2 Tbsp pine nuts
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- ½ tsp sugar
- Generous pinch each of salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 Tbsp shaved Parmesan cheese
What to do
1. Cook the pasta according to the packet instructions. Set aside ¼ cup of the cooking water for later use, drain, drizzle with olive oil and set aside. 2. Meanwhile, in a small frying pan, cook the chorizo for 4–5 minutes until the pieces just start to crisp. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside to drain on paper towel. 3. While the pasta and chorizo are cooking, blitz the remaining ingredients, except the Parmesan, in a food processor for the broad bean pesto. 4. Toss the pesto through the pasta in the pot, adding 1–2 Tbsp reserved cooking water to loosen if you need to. Divide the pasta into warmed bowls, top with the chorizo and the shaved Parmesan, and serve immediately. Notes: The chorizo can easily be substituted for diced bacon for a milder and more budget-friendly version. For a more extravagant version, however, add some crispy calamari along with the chorizo. For a great snack, use this pesto on bruschetta and top with fried chorizo or bacon or simple crumbled goats cheese Photo from 'Smitten' by Warren Heath.