Carolina's Chorizo Penne Carbonara

Add the penne to the saucepan of boiling water and cook until ‘al dente’, 10 minutes. TIP: Stir the pasta regularly to ensure it doesn't stick. Reserve some cooking water (1/3 cup for 2 people / 2/3 cup for 4 people), drain the pasta then return the pasta to the saucepan. Drizzle with olive oil to prevent sticking.

While the pasta is cooking, crack the egg into a medium bowl and whisk with a fork. Add the grated Parmesan cheese, thickened cream (see ingredients list) and a generous pinch of pepper. Crumble in the chicken stock (1 cube for 2 people / 2 cubes for 4 people). TIP: Chorizo is also salty, so add less stock if you are sensitive to salt! Mix well and set aside. TIP: Using more cream will dilute the flavour.

Heat a large frying pan over a high heat with a drizzle of olive oil. Add the chorizo and cook, breaking up the chorizo, until golden, 2-3 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-high, add the onion and cook, stirring, until softened, 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic and baby spinach leaves and cook, stirring until wilted and fragrant, 1-2 minutes.

Add the penne to the pan with the chorizo and toss to coat. Reduce the heat to low, then pour in the carbonara sauce and some cooking water (2 tbs for 2 people / 1/3 cup for 4 people). Stir until the cheese melts, 2-3 minutes. TIP: If the sauce looks too thick, add more cooking water until the sauce is creamy and silky.