Chorizo and tomato pasta bowl

This is an approximation of a great meal I ate in a small Greek cafe in the Forest of Dean. The windows were all steamy and the plastic tables gave no hint of the delicious meals the staff could serve up. This recipe serves three as a lunch or light supper.

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 1/2 red onion, finely chopped (or any onion will be fine)

• 250g raw chorizo sausages, cut into bite-sized pieces.

• 55g tomato purée

• One tomato, chopped 

• Eight big handfuls of short pasta, such as fusilli or penne, cooked according to packet instructions (approx 250g)

• Sea salt and black pepper

• Basil

Preparation

• Heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium to high heat. Add the onion and cook for two minutes. 

• Add the chorizo and cook for a further five minutes, or until golden brown all over. If you can find soft cooking chorizo, all the better, but any type is fine.

• Add to the pan the tomatoes, tomato puree and a generous scattering of basil, fresh or dried. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for around 12-15 minutes. Season, to taste, with salt and either coarsely ground or ground black pepper. 

• Cook the pasta while the chorizo mixture simmers. Drain it and stir the pasta into the sausage mixture, then divide into shallow bowls or plates to serve.