Penne with Chorizo & Creme Fraiche

An Italian pasta dish which uses Spanish ingredients to give a smoky-sweet taste. It can be made in the time it takes to cook the pasta so is perfect for a quick dinner.

Serves 2
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes

150-200g penne pasta
150g chorizo, thinly sliced
2 shallots, peeled and finely chopped
1 clove of garlic, peeled and finely shopped
1 tablespoon sherry/red wine vinegar
75-100ml creme fraiche
1 tsp freshly chopped thyme
Olive oil
Parmesan cheese, to serve

Cook the penne pasta as per packet instruction. It should take around 10 minutes.
While the pasta cooks, heat the olive oil in a frying pan and fry the shallots and garlic.
Add the sherry vinegar to deglaze the pan and reduce until there is almost no liquid remaining.
Before the shallots start to take on any colour, reduce the heat and add the chorizo to the pan.
Cook the chorizo until it starts to release its oil, then stir in the creme fraiche.
Add the chopped thyme, season then stir in the cooked, drained pasta with just a little of the cooking liquid to loosen the sauce.
Serve with shavings of the parmesan cheese.