Prawn and chorizo pasta with tomato sauce
Add some style to your pasta supper with this simple prawn and pasta recipe.
Ingredients
- 2 tsp fennel seeds, slightly crushed in a pestle and mortar
- 150g/5½oz spicy chorizo ring
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary, leaves only, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 red chilli, seeds removed and finely chopped
- olive oil
- 2 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes
- 150ml/5fl oz red wine or a good fish or chicken stock
- 1 tbsp harissa paste, or tomato purée if you don’t like it too hot
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 300²µ/10½´Ç³ú linguine pasta
- 125²µ/4½´Ç³ú prawns, peeled (preferably raw but cooked will work too)
- 200g mussels, scrubbed and de-bearded
- 2 tsp caster sugar (optional)
- small handful of fresh flat leaf parsley, to serve
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
Put a large sauté pan on a medium heat. And add the fennel seeds Cook for 1-2 minutes, tossing them from time to time, until they release their aroma.
Meanwhile, slit the chorizo down the side, peel and discard the casing and cut the sausage into chunks. Add the chorizo, rosemary, garlic and chilli to the pan with a little drizzle of oil and cook for 1–2 minutes, stirring.
Next add the tomatoes, wine (or stock), harissa paste (or tomato purée) and oregano. Increase the heat and leave it to bubble away for about 15 minutes so the sauce can become nice and thick and full of flavour. Give it a stir every so often to prevent it sticking.
As this cooks, put the kettle on to boil and then cook the linguine in a large pan according to the packet instructions.
Add the prawns and mussels to the sauce for the last 4–5 minutes of cooking time. If using already cooked prawns, they will take a little less time as you are simply warming them through.
Meanwhile, drain the cooked pasta well and return it to the pan, adding a good drizzle of oil and some salt and pepper, then pop the lid on to keep warm.
The prawns and mussels should now be cooked in the sauce. Place a lid on to cook the mussels. Taste the sauce, adding some salt and pepper if you think it needs it and a little sugar if it tastes too sharp. If you add sugar, stir it in well and then leave to cook for another minute.
Finally, tip the sauce into the pasta, stir well, then divide among four plates, scatter with the ripped-up parsley and serve.