Chorizo, spinach and feta pasta

Want to know the secret, affordable flavour booster to this chorizo, spinach and feta pasta? Chicken stock cubes! Instead of using liquid stock in cartons or dissolving into hot water, the cubes provide a concentrated hit of flavour that requires very little work in the kitchen.

Credit: Jiwon Kim

• serves

  4

• prep

  10 minutes

• cook

  20 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 500 g penne
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 chorizo sausage, thinly sliced into half-moons
• 1 small brown onion, finely chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1–2 tsp dried chilli flakes, to taste
• 2 x 400 g tins cherry tomatoes
• 1 chicken stock cube, crumbled
• 120 g baby spinach leaves
• Salt and black pepper
• 50 g feta, crumbled

Instructions

1. Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil over high heat. Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the chorizo and cook for 5 minutes, or until browned, then transfer to a plate leaving the flavoured oil in the pan. Add the onion and cook, stirring, for a few minutes until softened. Add the garlic and cook for a further minute.
   
2. Stir through the tomato paste, followed by the chilli flakes, cherry tomatoes and crumbled stock cube. Bring to a simmer and cook for a few minutes. Add the chorizo back to the pan with the baby spinach leaves and stir gently until it wilts.
   
3. Drain the pasta, reserving ½ cup of pasta water. Add the pasta to the sauce with ¼ cup pasta cooking water and stir through. Remove from the heat and add extra pasta water if you’d prefer! Season to taste with salt and pepper.
   
4. Divide the pasta between bowls, sprinkle with the feta cheese and crack over a little freshly ground black pepper and serve.
   

Note

• Any leftovers can be stored in the fridge for 3 days and reheated in the microwave or on the stovetop.

Photography by Jiwon Kim.

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Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.