Melissa's Orecchiette With Latin American Chorizo
A Melissa Cooking At Random special. Not to be confused with Spanish Orecchiette with Chorizo, which is an actual dish.
Easy 4
10 minutes 30 minutes
Main Dish Pork
Submitted by Melissa Green

Ingredients
- 3 links Salvadorean or Mexican Chorizos
- 2 slices Bacon, diced
- 1 Medium Red Onion, sliced thin
- 1 Red Bell Pepper, diced
- 1 stick Celery, sliced
- 4 cloves Garlic, crushed
- 1 tbsp Fresh Oregano (or 1 tsp dried)
- 1 or 2 thai hot peppers, sliced thin (or 1 tsp red pepper flakes)
- 8oz (2½ cups) Orecchiette
- 4 cups Broth (Chicken or Vegetable)
- 2 tbsp Fresh Basil, chopped fine
- 1½ cups Asiago or Pecorino Cheese, finely grated
- ⅓ cup Heavy Cream
- Shaved parmesan to serve
Directions
Halve the chorizo links lengthways, remove the casing and roughly chop.
In a high-sided skillet over medium heat, cook the bacon and chorizos until the chorizos are midly browned and cooked through and deeply colored fat has rendered from both the bacon and the sausage. Remove the sausage and bacon to a dish using a slotted spoon.
Reduce the heat to medium lowl. Add the onion, bell pepper and celery and sauté until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, oregano and hot pepper (or pepper flakes) and cook for a further 30 seconds to a minute.
Add the pasta to the skillet and stir to coat with the oil and veggies. Add the broth, and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer until the liquid is almost reduced down.
Test the pasta. If it is too far on the side of al dente, add a little more broth.
Once the pasta is cooked, stir in the cheese until combined. Add ¾ of the basil. Return the meat to the skillet and stir through to combine. Season the dish with salt and black pepper to taste. Heat through for a minute or so, to bring the meat back up to temperature.
Turn off the heat. Add in the cream. I specified ⅓ of a cup, but do it by eye - the sauce should remain a deep orange for the best flavor.
Serve in a wide bowl with shaved parmesan, the remainder of the basil, and nice white wine.