Creamy pasta with mushrooms and chorizo

Serves 4 You will need:

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper 400g penne pasta 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 15g butter 250g button mushrooms, sliced 175g chorizo, sliced about ½cm thick 150ml cream 150ml chicken stock 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves 15g-25g finely grated Parmesan cheese

1 Fill a large saucepan with water, add a couple of teaspoons of sea salt and bring to the boil.

2 Add the penne pasta and cook it for 10-12 minutes (or follow the instructions on the back of the packet), stirring occasionally, until it is just tender.

3 Next, put a large frying pan on a high heat. Add the extra-virgin olive oil along with the butter and, when they are hot, add the sliced mushrooms. Cook, stirring occasionally for a few minutes, until the mushrooms are wilted and lightly golden.

4 Add the chorizo slices and cook for a further 1-2 minutes, then stir in the cream, the chicken stock and the chopped fresh thyme leaves. Season to taste with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper and reduce the heat to medium-low so that the sauce is just bubbling.

5 Drain the pasta, reserving 75ml of the cooking water for the sauce. Add the drained pasta to the sauce in the pan, along with a couple of tablespoons of the reserved cooking water. Stir to mix well, pouring in a little more of the cooking water if it’s still a bit thick. Taste and adjust for seasoning, adding more sea salt and freshly ground black pepper if necessary, then put the pasta in warm bowls, and serve with some finely grated Parmesan over the top.