Unbelievably faster pasta
If you’ve never tried this method before, you’re in for a treat. Everything cooks at the same time, in the same pot.
We use two tricks to make sure it’s not just a gluggy mess at the end:
- Pre-fry the chorizo in the pasta pot, and keep a few crispy pieces back for serving
- Freshen everything up at the end with the zing of parmesan cheese and half the fresh basil leaves mixed through.
Kids in the Kitchen Tips
- Picking the leaves off herbs like basil is not only ideal for children’s fingers, it also means they are smelling the essence of the herb as they go – a great way to expose their senses.
- There are some simple measuring jobs in this recipe, as well as grating if you don’t buy pre-grated parmesan.
- An older child could manage this dish solo, or with minimal supervision.
One Pot Sausage, Basil, Tomato Pasta
What could be faster than cooking the sauce IN the pasta? If you've never done this before, prepare to have your mind blown. Image on this recipe card is from a member's dish – she added peas to her version and peeled the chorizo.
Equipment
- cutting board
- knife
- Large pasta pot
- Colander
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 4 firm chorizo sausages thinly sliced
- 1 onion finely sliced
- 500 g dry spaghetti
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes or fresh diced tomatoes
- 1 bunch basil whole leaves
- 3 cloves garlic crushed or finely diced
- salt and pepper
- 8 pitted kalamata olives Optional
- 1 litre water
- 1 cup parmesan cheese grated or shredded
Instructions
- In a large pot add some olive oil and quickly fry the chorizo sausage slices, onions and garlic. If you want, reserve a few fried chorizo slices for serving (like our top picture).
- Now add all the remaining ingredients except the parmesan and half the fresh basil leaves. Season with salt and pepper. Snap spaghetti lengths in half if they won't sit below water level.
- Bring to a boil with lid on and then reduce the heat slightly and cook without the lid for about 10-12 minutes until the pasta is cooked through and the liquid has reduced to sauce consistency.
- Add the parmesan, remaining basil leaves, and season to taste. Serve.
Notes
- You can also skip the pre-fry of the chorizo, onion and garlic and go straight to the boiling step.
- Chorizo sausages come in many forms – you can choose very mild or very spicy or somewhere in the middle.
- Works with other firm sausages like kransky or kabana, or use scissors to snip softer sausages (eg Italian pork & fennel) into short lengths as the snipping action partly seals the ends.
- For a richer dish, add a small jar of pasta sauce to the boil.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
