Recipe for Penne with Tomatoes, West Cork Chorizo and Desmond Cheese
1lb (450g) penne
7pints (4 litres) water
1 tbsp salt
8ozs (225g) Gubbeen Chorizo or Frank Krawczyk’s West Cork salami
1oz (30g) butter
1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped
1½ lb (675g) fresh ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded and cut into 2 inch (1cm) dice or 1½ tins tomatoes, chopped
Salt, freshly ground pepper and sugar
Pinch of crushed chillies
8fl ozs (230 ml) light cream
2 tbsp flat parsley, finely chopped
4 tbsp freshly grated Desmond or Gabriel cheese
Lots of snipped flat parsley
Bring 7 pints (4L) of water to the boil in a large saucepan over a high heat. Melt the butter in a large sauté pan, add the chopped rosemary and diced tomatoes. Season with salt, freshly ground pepper and sugar. Cook until the tomatoes have just begun to soften into a sauce, about 5 minutes approx.
When the water for the pasta is boiling fast, add 1 tbsp salt and the pasta. Stir well. Slice the chorizo sausage or salami into ¼ inch rounds, add to the pan with the crushed chillies, season lightly with salt (be careful not to overdo the salt as the sausage may be somewhat salty). Add the cream and chopped parsley, cook, stirring frequently until the cream has reduced by about half. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside.
When the pasta is cooked (it should be ‘al dente’), drain and toss with the sauce, add the grated Parmesan. Toss again, check the seasoning. Sprinkle with flat parsley and serve at once.
