We initially thought this was an unusual combination of flavours and were really delighted with the final dish. This dish is based on a recipe ‘Fusilli with Sardines and ‘Njuja’ from The Magic of Tinned Fish cookbook. Instead of ‘nduja, we’ve used chorizo which is similar in flavour and it works really well. The sardines and chorizo meld together creating a robust sauce for the pasta, resulting in a hearty, warming dish packed with flavour.
Serves 2
Ingredients:
190 g pasta (fusilli or penne)
¼ cup tomato puree
1 tin of sardines
3 tbsp butter
2 tsp red wine vinegar
75g chorizo, diced
¼ cup parmesan cheese
Method:
Boil a large pot of salted water and start to cook the pasta and cook according to the package instructions.
While the pasta is cooking, heat a pan over medium to high heat and add the diced chorizo, frying for a couple of minutes until the chorizo releases some juices.
Add the tomato puree and cook on medium for another 3-5 minutes. Then add the sardines, breaking them up into smaller pieces with the back of the spoon.
Just before the pasta is cooked, reserve a ¼ cup of the cooking water and add it to the pan with the tomato puree, chorizo and sardines, bringing it to a simmer.
Drain the pasta and add to the pan as well, stirring to ensure the pasta is covered in sauce for another minute or two.
Add the butter and once it is melted, finish with the red wine vinegar.
Finally, season with parmesan and serve.