Carolina's Chorizo Penne Carbonara
with Garden Salad
Carolina is our beloved colleague, who brings a dash of Spanish flair to our office. She's the inspiration for this creamy and delicious pasta, which uses chorizo instead of the classic bacon for an extra dose of flavour and fun. Thanks, Carolina!
The quantities provided above are averages only.
Produced in a facility that processes eggs, milk, fish, peanuts, sesame, shellfish, soy, tree nuts and wheat.
Ingredients
1 packet
mild chorizo
(May be present: Soy, Milk, Sulphites.)
½ unit
brown onion
2 clove
garlic
1 unit
cucumber
1 unit
tomato
1 bunch
chives
1 packet
penne
(Contains: Gluten, Wheat; May be present: Soy, Milk, Eggs.)
2 packet
grated Parmesan cheese
(Contains: Milk;)
½ packet
thickened cream
(Contains: Milk;)
1 cube
chicken stock
1 bag
baby spinach leaves
1 bag
mixed salad leaves
Not included in your delivery
olive oil
1 tsp
balsamic vinegar
1 unit
egg
(Contains: Eggs;)
Utensils
Cooking Steps
Bring a medium saucepan of salted water to the boil. Finely chop the mild chorizo. Finely chop the brown onion (see ingredients list). Finely chop the garlic (or use a garlic press). Slice the cucumber into half-moons. Roughly chop the tomato. Finely chop the chives. In a large bowl, combine the balsamic vinegar, a pinch of salt and pepper and olive oil (2 tsp for 2 people / 1 tbs for 4 people).
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.
Add the mixed salad leaves, tomato and cucumber to the bowl with the salad dressing and toss well to combine. TIP: Toss the salad just before serving to keep the leaves crisp. Divide Carolina's chorizo carbonara penne between bowls. Sprinkle with the chives and serve with the salad.
