Oh Jamie, have you ever steered me wrong? I don't think I've found a recipe yet that I didn't immediately love. For example, your roast chicken is so simple and delicious that it's become a firm favorite for lazy Sunday dinners. Despite this fervent appreciation of your work, I have to admit that I have rarely opened this book since its purchase - even though I watched most of the television episodes that this book is based on. Baffling, I know.
Jamie's 30 Minute Meals: A Revolutionary Approach to Cooking Good Food Fast
By Jamie Oliver
Michael Joseph Publishing, 2010.
This recipe (originally named Pregnant Jools's Pasta after his wife) has all the hallmarks of an excellent Jamie Oliver option - simple ingredients, quick prep and cook time, and a very satisfying result with minimal effort. This particular book tends to offer up entire meals (i.e. side dishes and desserts alongside a main course) but we only made the pasta dish in an effort to keep things on the lighter side. Or as light as they can be where pasta is involved! I followed the recipe and used penne but this could easily be made with whatever small pasta you had on hand like farfalle, rigatoni or fusilli. Jamie's recipe includes 1 teaspoon of fennel seeds but I've left them out since I didn't have them on hand. I also completely forgot to add the chilies so I sprinkled in some dried red chili flakes and was very pleased with the result (thank goodness!).
The taste of the final dish will obviously revolve around the type of sausage you choose. Any favorites will work nicely although it is important to keep in mind that the addition of the balsamic vinegar will have a big impact on the final taste. Therefore, I chose a simple pork and herb sausage this time although I think pork and leek or even caramelized onion sausages would also be tasty. I'm a huge fan of balsamic vinegar (seriously, ask my friends. I'd probably drink it if it were socially acceptable...) so I loved the way it really comes through in the final dish. However, if you are less keen on it, I'd go ahead and add only half the suggested amount. I think this recipe is a great option for a midweek meal as the sausages basically do all the work as far as bringing in the seasonings. A big part of Jamie's 30 Minute Meals is the use of a food processor. However, since I wasn't rushing, I thought I'd skip that part and it still only takes a few minutes to get everything prepped. I removed my sausages from their casings and definitely recommend it so that they can break up nicely in the pan.
Prep Time: 5 min
Cook Time: 15 min
Serves: 6
Ingredients:
Olive oil
4 spring onions, finely chopped
1 carrot, finely chopped
1 stick of celery, finely chopped
1-2 fresh red chillies, finely chopped (or 1-2 tsp dried chili flakes)
6 good quality sausages, casings removed
1 tsp dried oregano
500g dried penne
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
4 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 can of chopped tomatoes (400g)
Salt and Pepper
A handful of fresh basil
Grated parmesan
Method:
Put a large pot of water on to boil while you chop the other ingredients so that it's ready for the penne.
In a large pan over a medium heat, heat a few tablespoons of olive oil. Add the spring onions, carrot and celery. Sauté until the vegetables have started to soften. Add in the sausages and use a wooden spoon to break them up as they cook. When the sausages have browned and are nicely broken up into smaller pieces (they should resemble the beef mince in a traditional bolognese), add the oregano and garlic and continue to sauté until the garlic is fragrant.
When the water has boiled, add a liberal amount of salt and the penne. Meanwhile, add the balsamic vinegar and chopped tomatoes to the sausage mix and bring to a simmer. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Cook the pasta according to the package directions and then drain and return to the pot. Make sure to reserve about a cup of the cooking liquid so that you can loosen the sauce if needed.
Add the sausage ragu to the pasta pot and stir to incorporate everything. Add some of the cooking water if needed. Serve with chopped basil and grated parmesan cheese. Enjoy!
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