If you’ve been following my blog for a while, you may have noticed that I have an obsession a preference for pasta with cream sauces. This is another one of those dishes! The chorizo and chicken in this dish go really well together. The creamy tomato pesto sauce tames the spiciness of the chorizo and red chillis. The result is a tasty dish with a velvety texture. I used Unearthed’s Chorizo de León, which is a Spanish oak-smoked cured pork sausage with a spicy kick. I find farfalle (bow tie) pasta suits this dish best but any short, sturdy pasta will do.

You will need the following ingredients:

500g farfalle pasta
220g chorizo
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 500g)
2 small red chillis
6 spring onions
190g jar of sun-dried tomato pesto (Sacla’ make a really good one)
300ml double cream (for a low fat alternative, use Elmlea’s double light cream – 284ml)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan

Boil water for the farfalle in a large pot.

Chop the red chillis and slice the spring onions. Put aside.

Slice the chorizo. You don’t have to use all of the 220g if you prefer less chorizo in your dish. You can add half or 3/4 of it.

Cut the chicken breasts into thin strips.

While waiting for the water to boil, add the chorizo to a large non-stick skillet. Cook over high heat for a few minutes.

The trick here is to release the chorizo’s natural oils. These are full of flavour. Put the cooked chorizo in a bowl for the time being. Make sure you keep the chorizo oil in the skillet.

The water should be at a rolling boil by now. Add 500g farfalle and cook as per package directions.

Add the chicken strips and cook in the chorizo oil. If the skillet gets dry, add some olive oil. Cook the chicken strips until they are lightly browned.

Put the chorizo back into the skillet and add the chillis and spring onions. Continue cooking and stirring all of the ingredients until the chicken is no longer pink inside.

Stir in the sun-dried tomato pesto and double cream. Cook for 5 minutes until chicken is tender and sauce has thickened slightly.

Remove from heat and grate 1/4 cup Parmesan over the sauce. Stir until the cheese melts into the sauce.

Drain the pasta once it is cooked al dente. Add the farfalle to the sauce in the skillet. Toss pasta until the cream sauce coats the farfalle, about 30 seconds.

Serve immediately. Grate more Parmesan on top, if desired. Makes 4 servings. (Leftovers can be reheated in the microwave). Enjoy!

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