Chicken and chorizo penne pasta

This is another of those recipes that was more about luck than judgement! We’d just returned from a short break away and arrived home, feeling a little sorry for ourselves, and wanted something easy but also a little comforting and indulgent. Throwing together various items we’d brought back with us alongside some extras from the fridge and cupboard, it was a simple case of culinary magic. On another day a misplaced ingredient might have meant a less successful outcome, but everything here has its place, it’s a filling and flavoursome meal and I promise you, you won’t be disappointed!

Ingredients

• 14 ounces / 400g penne pasta
• 3½ ounces / 100g chorizo cut into thick coins
• 1 red pepper, deseeded and diced
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• 4 skinless boneless chicken breasts, cut into large cubes
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 4 tomatoes, roughly chopped
• 2 heaped tablespoons of chopped basil leaves
• Grated parmesan, to serve

Method

Put your pasta into a large saucepan of boiling water with a good pinch of salt and leave to cook while you prepare the rest of the dish.

Put your chorizo and red pepper into a large frying pan over a medium heat and cook for 5 minutes.

Add your oil, chicken and garlic and cook until your chicken is browned.

Add the tomatoes and cook for 5-10 minutes, until the tomatoes have broken down and you have an unctuous sauce. Stir in the basil.

Drain your pasta and add to the sauce and toss everything together.

Serve with the grated parmesan.

Trivia

The Italian word penne as used for describing the particular tube-shaped and ridged pasta is derived from the Latin word for quill or pen. In fact, there are two types pf penne pasta, the smooth variety known as penne lisce (smooth) and the ridged variety as penne rigate (furrowed).