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penne with chicken, chorizo and chile

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Penne with Chicken, Chorizo and Chile

After my husband and I had just bought our first home -- and were as poor as church mice -- he would often open the refrigerator door and say, “There’s nothing to eat!” I would scoff, scrounge around, then make something exactly like this -

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, crushed
  • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 dash chile flakes, to taste
  • 3 chorizo sausages, sliced
  • 1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes, sliced
  • 400 grams penne pasta
  • 1/4 cup white wine
  • 2 cups roast chicken, divided into bite-sized pieces
  • 1/2 cup cream
  • 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, plus some for serving
  • 1 handful chopped parsley, plus some for serving
  • 5 tablespoons basil pesto, to taste

Directions

  • Heat olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot and add the onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, over medium heat for 15 minutes, until the onion is softened but not yet browned.
  • Add garlic, salt and pepper, chile flakes, sun-dried tomatoes and chorizo and cook for another 10 minutes.
  • Add wine, chicken, and cream to the onion mix and bring to a simmer.
  • Cook pasta according to the package's instructions, until only just al dente, and save half a cup of pasta water.
  • When ready to serve, add the pasta and reserved pasta water to the onion sauce sauce along with the Parmesan and parsley. Stir to combine. Serve topped with a few spoonfuls of basil pesto, a little extra Parmesan and parsley, if desired, and a good grinding of black pepper.

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