My kids are pretty fussy eaters and nothing gets my blood boiling more than spending time making them a meal, only for them to turn their noses up. Pasta is normally a safe bet, add some of their favourite Sacla’ pesto and I know they’ll eat well - but sometimes it’s nice to shake things up and add some new flavours and textures.
I recently discovered this Rachel Allen recipe that sounded perfect! The base of the recipe is pesto (which, as I’ve already mentioned is an easy win), with a few extra ingredients to lift it into a more special and substantial dish. I tried it last week for the first time and I can confirm that it was a big hit with my whole family. So I thought it was only fair to share this simple but delicious recipe with you….
PASTA WITH CREAMY TOMATO PESTO, CHORIZO AND ROSEMARY
An Easy Pasta Dish Kids Will Love
Ingredients (for a family of 4 and a half)
- 400g pasta of your choice
- 150g chorizo, cut into small cubes
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 200ml double cream
- ½ jar Sacla’ Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto (or Chilli Pesto if you like a bit of heat!)
- 1 tbsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped
- 25g Parmesan, finely grated - plus extra for serving
- Salt and pepper to season
Method
- Bring a large pan of water to the boil. Add the pasta, return to the boil and cook to your liking (see packet for time).
- While the pasta is cooking, place the chorizo in a pan with olive oil, place on a low-to-medium heat and cook for a few of minutes until the chorizo starts to look get oily. Don’t brown the chorizo as it burns easily!
- Add the cream, tomato Pesto, chopped rosemary, the grated Parmesan and mix well. Bring to the boil, and cook for two minutes until it’s all combined, then season to taste.
- Drain the pasta but reserve some water in case the sauce becomes too thick.
- Finally, add the pasta to the sauce and stir gently (adding some cooking water if needed). Serve with extra Parmesan on top.
I’ve been big fan of Rachel Allen for years, so it was an absolute treat to meet her last week at a dinner hosted by Sacla’ at the beautiful Cafe Murano. Rachel was just as lovely as I’d hoped and had a warm kindness that made me feel completely at ease as soon as we met.
During the night we I learnt a lot about pesto and Sacla’ as a family run brand. For example, did you know that there are 12 different pesto flavours? We were served the fiery Chilli Pesto on the night, which I’d never tried before but loved! Also, did you know that pesto has only been available in the UK since 1991? What did mums do before that for a quick, easy supper? Beans on toast maybe!?
For more of Rachel Allen’s pesto recipes, click here.
Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post but all copy and images are my own.
