Chorizo, Paprika and Chickpeas

Sydney Keddy

Chorizo and chickpeas—simmered in a paprika, spiked, and olive-oil hearty sauce—makes for a fantastic dinner with just some crusty bread and a tart salad, but cooking toasted dry pasta into the sauce makes it into something really special. The preparation of this pasta is based on Spanish fideos, thin spaghetti-like noodles that are often toasted.

If you’ve never toasted dry pasta before, you’re in for a treat. The simple act of toasting pasta in some olive oil changes the flavour of the pasta, adding a funky, toasted texture to the whole dish. When cooking pasta in the sauce, keep an eye on it so that it doesn't dry out.

Print Recipe

Servings 4

Ingredients

4 Tbsp olive oil divided
1 red onion chopped
4 garlic cloves sliced
2 tsp paprika
5 chorizo sausages casings removed
1 - 798 ml can whole peeled tomatoes
1 - 540 ml can chickpeas drained
180 g whole-grain spaghetti broken into 2-inch pieces
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and, when shimmering, add onions, garlic and paprika and cook until onions are soft and paprika smells toasted, about 6 minutes. Add chorizo and cook, using a spatula to mash and break up the sausage until the sausage is browned, about another 5 minutes. Then add tomatoes and drained chickpeas and bring to a simmer. Continue to simmer for 30 minutes, adding additional water when necessary.
In a large skillet, over high heat, add the remaining oil and add the dry spaghetti. Toss the spaghetti in the hot oil until it begins to toast and brown, about 3 minutes. When the pasta is toasted, add it to the sauce along with 1/2 cup water. Simmer, stirring often and adding additional water, as needed, until the pasta is cooked, about 8 minutes. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper, and serve.