Ingredients (Recipe for 4-6)
- 1 x 500g pkt. rigatoni pasta (invest in the best quality you can afford)
- 60ml extra virgin olive oil (plus extra to finish)
- 50g Salted Butter
- 20-30 medium prawn tails, diced
- 1 spanish chorizo sausage (250-300g),diced
- ½ red onion – finely chopped
- 2 cloves arlic – finely sliced
- ½ cup dry white wine
- 2 tbsp. harissa paste
- 100ml tomato aagu (napolitana sauce)
- 2 tbsp. crème fraiche
- 20g Italian parsley – finely chopped
- 10g fresh basil – leaves picked
- 50g Parmigiano Reggiano / Grana Padano
Method
- Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil.
- Reserve a little of the cooking water to adjust the sauce later if necessary.
- Once the pasta is cooked, strain the water out and lightly dress the pasta with olive oil.
- Prepare the pasta sauce whilst the pasta cooks to avoid overcooking.
- In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil and butter over a medium-high heat until frothing.
- Add chopped prawn tails, chorizo sausage and diced onion. Sauté for 5 mins.
- Season lightly with salt and pepper, and then add sliced garlic and sauté for a further 2-3 mins.
- Deglaze the pan with white wine and allow the wine to boil rapidly and evaporate by at least half.
- Stir in the harissa paste and tomato ragu to form the sauce.
- Allow the sauce to simmer for 6-8 mins over a medium heat.
- Add a little of the reserved pasta water should the sauce be too thick.
- Stir in the crème fraiche and emulsify into the tomato base.
- Introduce the pasta into the sauce and toss well to coat.
- Adjust with the pasta cooking water again to create a homogenous sauce.
- Add fresh herbs, Parmigiano, and a splash of olive oil before serving.
Season well with salt and cook pasta according to package instructions.
Credit
“Unapologetically fanatical about food…” Paulo Santo’s pasta recipe reflects the winter mood, “Gemelli Cucina Bar” Bryanston, Sandton
