Pasta with leeks, chorizo and beans

With all the dreek weather we've been having, comfort food is a must.  It isn't that it is cold, or snowy, it is just wet, wet, wet, and GREY!  I mean, look at this poor dog

We call this position 'quavered' and often when the girls find her like this they put a blanket around her.  Such a hard life...................


Once a month or so the grocery stores around here give out free magazines.    Yes, they had me at free.  Inside are recipes, tips, etc.  From the recent ASDA magazine I  tried the following recipe.  It was delicious, and oh so comforting.

Pasta with leeks, chorizo and beans

serves 4
113g chorizo (for me that is three small links from Cost Co) cut into small cubes
1 tbs butter
1 tbs olive oil (I skipped this because it wasn't needed)
2 leeks, trimmed and sliced
1 can barlotti beans, drained and rinsed.  I used black beans because I canned them ages ago and they needed eaten.
1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes, cut into pieces
1/2 (100ml) cup white wine or chicken stock
300g penne pasta
Parmesan to serve

1.  Cook the chorizo until is starts to crisp.  Tip into a bowl and set aside.
2.  Wipe out the pan, then heat the butter and oil.  Add the leeks and cook over medium heat until softened (about 5 minutes).
3.  Add the chorizo back in, along with beans, tomatoes and wine or stock, and simmer until the liquid is reduced by half.
4. Meanwhile, add the pasta to a large pan of lightly salted, boiling water and cooking according to package directions.  Drain and return to pan.
5.  Add the leek mixture to the pasta and toss everything together.  Serve with grated or shaved Parmesan.

In the Tesco magazine they had an article about money saving, and ways to make money.  They listed a website called Folksy.com, and it is pretty much the UK version of Etsy.  I'm going to get knitting and open up a shop and see if I can't make enough to cover the cost of my wool addiction.   Or postage for my KAS squares.  Not likely, but it is only 20p to list an item, so I'll give it ago.  For all you crafters out there, check it out!

Folksy