Spaghettini with chorizo, asparagus and cherry tomatoes
While you may use any pasta shape for this dish, making it with spaghettini cuts down the cooking time by half. Boil pasta in a pot while you cook the sausages and vegetables, and they will all be ready to be tossed together by the end of ten minutes.
2shallots(or one medium onion) peeled, halved and thinly sliced
6 to 8clovesgarlicpeeled and minced
asparaguscut into two-inch lengths (see notes)
2bell peppersdeseeded and diced
12 to 15cherry tomatoeshalved
ground black pepper
sweet basilthinly sliced
Instructions
Boil water in a pot, drop in the spaghettini, add two tablespoons salt and cook.
While the spaghettini cooks, heat a non-stick frying pan, spread the sausage slices and cook over medium heat until browned on both sides and fat has been rendered. Set aside.
In another frying pan, heat the olive oil, and saute the shallots and garlic.
Add the asparagus and bell peppers, sprinkle in salt and about a quarter teaspoon of black pepper, and cook, tossing often, for three to four minutes.
Add the halved cherry tomatoes, sprinkle in a bit more salt and pepper, and cook just until the tomato halves are heated through.
Drain the pasta and add to the vegetables.
Add the sausage slices and scrape all the rendered fat from the pan directly onto the noodles.
Toss everything together until the noodles are coated with oil.
Taste, add more salt and pepper, if needed.
Serve topped with thinly sliced sweet basil.
Notes
Baby asparagus was used here. A cup or so after cutting. If using thick asparagus spears, the cooking time will be longer.