One-pot meal holds universal appeal
A one-pot supper suits everybody and a new cookbook from the test kitchen at Canadian Living magazine contains 101 recipes for just such a meal. The recipes in Pasta & Noodles (Simon & Schuster), have the magazine’s usual reliable style and appealing photographs.
I tried this recipe using leftover cooked Italian sausages, browned until crisp, and cut-up broccoli, and found it a winner.
The authors, led by food director Annabelle Waugh, cover all varieties of pasta, flavoured with such fresh ingredients as seasonal vegetables, mushrooms, and nuts, as well as ready-made sauces and grated cheese. Explanations about exactly how to cook pasta, including Asian noodles, are useful.
This book promises to be a wellused addition to your kitchen.
CHORIZO AND ASPARAGUS PASTA
Serves: 4
3/4 lb (340 g) rotini or other short pasta
1 lb (454 g) bunch fresh asparagus, trimmed, cut in 1-½-inch (2.5-1.3-cm) lengths
4 tsp (20 mL) olive oil 3 cloves garlic, sliced
Pinch each hot red pepper flakes and dried oregano
170 g (6 oz) dry-cured chorizo sausage, sliced
1/4 cup (60 mL) freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 tbsp (15 mL) lemon juice
1. Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling, salted water until just tender, al dente. Add asparagus to the pot in the last three minutes of cooking. Drain, reserving ½ cup (125 mL) of the cooking liquid. Set aside.
2. In a large, non-stick frying pan over medium heat, heat oil and cook garlic, hot pepper flakes and oregano, stirring, until garlic is golden, about one minute. Add chorizo and cook, stirring occasionally, until crisp and lightly browned, about five minutes.
3. Stir in pasta mixture, moistening it with the reserved cooking liquid. Sprinkle with cheese and lemon juice and serve.