Baked spaghetti with chorizo and black olives
Looking for a hearty sausage pasta bake recipe? With chorizo, olives and a hefty helping of tomato sauce, this is a seriously tasty, decidedly warming recipe with a flavour of the Mediterranean.
Ingredients
Method
Step 1
Preheat your oven to 200C and prepare a large baking dish.
Step 2
Chop the chorizo into slices roughly half a centimetre thick. Heat 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large saucepan on the hob and add ⅔ of the chorizo. Cook for 1-2 minutes over a medium heat until the oils start to release. Turn the heat to low, add the courgette, garlic and onion and saute with the chorizo for a further 5 minutes. Season with just a pinch of salt and a generous amount of black pepper. *To make a meat-free version, add one tin of butter beans to the pan with 1-2 tbsp olive oil and 1 tsp of smoked paprika. Cook on a medium heat for approx. 3 minutes and then continue with the same steps for veggies as above.
Step 3
When the vegetables have softened, pour in the passata and cherry tomatoes and stir. Fill the tomato tin ½ full with tap water and add in. Cook over a medium heat for 5-7 minutes and simmer for a further 7, until the sauce has thickened.
Step 4
While the sauce cooks, bring a large saucepan of salted water to a rolling boil, with a few drops of olive oil. Cook the spaghetti for 7-10 minutes or as directed per type. It is preferable for the spaghetti to be ‘al dente’ as it will soak up some of the sauce in the oven. Stir every few minutes to ensure it isn’t sticking together.
Step 5
Drain the spaghetti and pour in ⅔ of the sauce. Mix gently while it is still in the pan, making sure all the pasta is covered but not breaking apart. Stir in the chopped basil and olives.
Step 6
Transfer the spaghetti to your baking dish and use a fork to create a few swirls. These will crisp up nicely on top!
Step 7
Pour over the remainder of the sauce. Top with roughly torn mozzarella, the remainder of the chorizo (sliced or torn), a drizzle of olive oil and another sprinkle of black pepper. Bake for 25 minutes on the middle shelf of the oven, or until the top has become crispy and golden, and the sauce is bubbling.
Step 8
Leave to stand for 2-3 minutes before serving. Enjoy!
