Recipe: Penne pasta with chorizo and tomato sauce

Chorizo is a sausage that is a popular cured meat in both Spanish and Mexican cuisine. It is traditionally made with ground pork. There are also many different flavors of chorizo. Spanish and Mexican cuisine each make it a bit differently. Mexican cuisine frequently uses ancho chile pepper for its chorizo seasoning, while Spanish cuisine uses paprika as its chorizo seasoning. It is the paprika seasoning that not only gives Spanish chorizo a rich and flavorful smoky or sweet red chili pepper flavor, but it also gives chorizo its rich deep red color.

Below are six steps to make penne pasta with chorizo and tomato sauce.

Recipe: Penne pasta with chorizo and tomato sauce

Ingredients:

• ½ box of penne pasta (Reserve 1 tablespoon of pasta water)
• 2 (7 ounce) packages of chorizo (Casings removed; Cut chorizo links into ½” slices)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon paprika (Use sweet paprika for a more sweet and mild paprika flavor)
• ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 cups crushed tomatoes
• ¼ cup tomato sauce
• 1 teaspoon tomato paste
• 4 tablespoons white granulated sugar
• Parmesan cheese, shaved manchego cheese, or any cheese for garnish (Optional)

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Preparation:

1. Bring a large, salted pot of water to a boil. Cook pasta as per package directions.
2. While the water is on the stove heating, remove the casting from the chorizo links and cut the chorizo links into ½” slices.
3. Heat a pot on medium heat for 30 seconds. Add the oil, and heat the oil for 30 seconds.
4. Add the chorizo, salt, paprika, and ground black pepper, and cook for about 7 minutes, until the chorizo starts to become golden and crispy. Stir occasionally.
5. Lower the heat down to medium-low to low heat. Add the garlic, crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, and sugar, and simmer for 5 to 7 minutes.
6. Add 3 cups of the cooked penne pasta, plus 1 tablespoon of the pasta water to the chorizo pasta sauce, and stir well to combine. Cook for another 2 to 3 minutes then serve hot. *Add Parmesan cheese, shaved manchego cheese, or any other cheese of choice, for garnish, if desired.