"HEART ATTACK" PASTA

Caution! This post is not good for your health. You have been warned!

If your still reading this let me explain. I'm always one for promoting good healthy recipes but you know sometimes when you've had a long week and you just need to have something that's comforting and naughty, Well this is the dish for you. 

A creamy buttery and cheesy chorizo pasta that is the complete antithesis to my healthier Mac and C. You can just grab a fork, tuck in and then collapse on the sofa with a stuffed belly ready to veg for the evening. Just don't expect your arteries to thank you for it!

Frying up the chorizo gives that beautiful smoky paprikary flavor to the sauce. If you don't have chorizo to hand you can use some chopped prosciutto or pepperoni or if your on a tight budget (lets face it these fancy meats are not the cheapest) you could use some smoky bacon instead.

The cheese is also your choice too but make sure its something that melts well and will complement the meats like the Cheddar i used. If your veggie i suggest something like smoked Applewood Cheddar so you still get a bit of added flavor to replace the chorizo spice (a touch of paprika powder would work too) and perhaps add some veg such as peas or sweetcorn too for texture otherwise you'll end up with just a rather bland cheese sauce which will get boring quite quickly.

This recipe is also great for using any chicken stock you made from your Sunday roast. Remember the mantra kids: Love Food, Hate Waste!

Here is the recipe which will serve 6 (or 4 very hungry peeps). Don't tell me I say didn't warn you!

"Heart Attack" Pasta

1 Chopped Onion

3 Cloves Grated Garlic

2 Tbsp Butter

50ml Olive Oil

250g Sliced Mushrooms

250g Sliced Chorizo

50ml Chicken Stock

250ml Double Cream

1 Tbsp Dried Sage

1 Tbsp Dried Parsley

250g Grated Cheddar Cheese

Salt And Pepper To Season

Plain Flour (If Needed)

250g Fusilli (Or The Pasta Of Your Choice)

1. In a large pan on a medium heat, fry the onion, garlic, butter and olive oil until the onions are just beginning to soften. 
2. Add the mushrooms and fry for a further 2 minutes.
3. Add in the chorizo and fry for around 5 minutes before adding in the stock and bringing to the boil.
4. Add in the cream, sage, parsley and cheese and give everything a good stir until all the cheese has melted into the cream. 
5. Season with the salt and pepper to taste and then reduce to a simmer for 10 minutes.
6. Whilst the pan is simmering, prepare your pasta as per the packet instructions. 
7. Once it's cooked leave to drain for a few minutes.
8. Once the pasta has fully drained, add it to the sauce (your ten minutes simmering time should of past by now). 
9. Mix everything together so all the pasta is coated in the sauce.

Serve on a big plate straight from the pan so the cheese is all nice and melty hot. It can get quite claggy when cooled because of all the dairy so make sure you warm up any leftovers you might have before eating).

Loosen your waistband and get ready for a good old calorie blow out. You might feel guilty but trust me the taste is well worth. Just make sure you repent on Sunday.