Chorizo with Pesto Pasta and Garlic Bread

Crispy chorizo with wonderful pesto pasta and punchy garlic bread. This is a great comfort food meal which will please your taste buds!

Should be enough food for 2 hungry adults

Ingredients:

Pesto:

(This is enough pesto for two meals so you

will only use half for this recipe)

½ cup toasted pine nuts

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 garlic clove

Pinch of salt & pepper

60g fresh basil  

½ cup extra Virgin oil, plus more for a smoother pesto

½ cup grated parmesan cheese

Pasta:

150g Penne pasta

60g Chorizo

Vegan cream cheese 85g

Chicken stock (I used oxo)

5 Sun dried tomatoes

Garlic bread:

Approx 200g Pizza dough

25g Roasted garlic & herb butter (refer to my other recipes for this)

½ Cup Grated Mozzarella cheese

To dress:

Extra virgin Olive Oil

A few thin slices of parmesan cheese

Few fresh basil leaves

A drizzle of oil from the cooked chorizo

Method:

If making garlic bread in the pizza oven now is the time to get the oven fired up. If using a conventional oven get this on to its highest heat and place a pizza stone in the oven to heat up too.

Start by making the pesto, place the basil leaves in the blender in batches then add your pine nuts, pulse until combined then add your other ingredients and continue to pulse until to your desired consistency. If your prefer more runny add a little more olive oil. Remember that this is enough pesto for two meals so you will only use half in this recipe.

Cook chorizo in a skillet and then once crispy around 3-4 minutes remove chorizo and pour out the oil (keep this for dressing later).

Cooked pasta in chicken stock as per pack instructions.

If using a conventional oven for the garlic bread then now is the time to shape your pizza dough then place in the oven on the pizza stone for a few minutes until the bottom starts to brown then remove, add your garlic butter, place back in the oven until this has melted then remove again and place your mozzarella on top, place back in the oven once again until cheese has melted. Then remove and slice up for two people.

Now time to chop up the sundried tomatoes.

Once pasta is cooked remove from water and place in the pan that you cooked the chorizo in, then add your cream cheese, half the pesto - mix this, then add the sundried tomatoes and chorizo. Season to your taste with salt and pepper.

If using a pizza oven (it should be up to temperature now) therefore time to shape your pizza dough then place in the oven for a few minutes until the bottom starts to brown then remove, add your garlic butter, place back in the oven until this has melted then remove again and place your mozzarella on top, place back in the oven once again until cheese has melted. Then remove and slice up for two people.

Time to plate up!

Place is bowls with a few shavings of parmesan then a few leaves of fresh basil lastly a drizzle of that chorizo oil left over from cooking. Add you garlic bread on the side – Done!

Enjoy!!