Smoky Bow Tie Pasta with Brussel's Sprouts, Chorizo and Raisins

As the days shorten, I start to prepare more substantial meals for my family. Soups, stews and pastas move in to take the place of lighter summer fare. The pasta I am featuring today was developed for the McCormick Go4Gourmet promotion and they are sponsoring this post.

McCormick herbs and spices have long been a mainstay of my pantry. They are readily available and I know from experience that they are dependably fresh and of top quality. Equally important is the company's ability to communicate with its customers. They keep coming up with  fantastic new recipes and spice blends that the adventurer in me simply can't resist. So, I watched with interest when McCormick launched a challenge called Go4Gourmet. You can imagine how thrilled I was when they asked me to create a recipe for the current round. My recipe had to include chorizo, Brussel's sprouts, smoked paprika and chicken stock.

The ingredients I received for the challenge included a jar of McCormick's smoked paprika. I planned to use it as the flavor base for my recipe. I thought it would work well with the Spanish chorizo and allow me to create a one-dish meal that was filling, earthy and vaguely old-world, but without ties to a specific cuisine.

You'll need a large skillet and a 5 to 6-quart pot to make this family meal. The sausage is browned and the Brussel's sprouts are braised in a broth that develops a vague smoky sweetness as it simmers. While it bubbles away, water can be brought to a boil for the pasta. The dish can be on the table in about 45 minutes. Be sure to serve it with lots of crusty bread and a large chopped salad.

Smoky Bow Tie Pasta with Brussel's Sprouts, Chorizo and Raisins...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons butter
6 to 7 ounces Spanish chorizo, cut in 1/4-inch dice
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
2 pounds Brussels sprouts, trimmed and cut in half
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup golden raisins
2 cups 1 (14.5-oz.) can reduced sodium chicken broth
1 teaspoon liquid smoke
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
12-ounces bow tie pasta (farfalle)

Directions:
1) Heat butter in a large (12-inch) skillet. Add smoked paprika and diced chorizo. Saute until fat is rendered, about 5 minutes.
2) Add Brussels sprouts, salt, and pepper to skillet and saute over medium heat for about 5 minutes, until lightly browned. Add raisins, chicken stock and liquid smoke. Lower heat and cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, until sprouts are tender when pierced with a knife, about 15 minutes.
3) Meanwhile, cook pasta in boiling salted water until al dente. Drain pasta, reserving 1 cup pasta water, and shake dry, then return it to pot. Add sprout mixture, including liquid, to pasta and toss to combine. If mixture appears dry, moisten with some reserved pasta water. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to a serving bowl and serve. Yield: 6 to 8 servings.

If you have enjoyed your visit here, I hope you'll take a minute to...

      

Haluski - Polish-Style Cabbage and Noodles with Bacon

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I had a sense at breakfast this morning that this probably wasn't the day to suggest soup and salad for supper. The Silver Fox, who is not normally a breakfast person, was eating like there was no tomorrow. I made a mental note regarding dinner and then dashed out to complete my chores for the day. The weather here was dreadful. It poured and by the time I made it home I was drenched and cranky and needed a timeout. I curled up on the sofa with the intent of reading, but promptly fell asleep. I don't know if it was the noise or the smell that first got to me, but banging pots and the overwhelming smell of cabbage certainly disturbed my sleep. Our first apartment was a basement flat in building so old it probably housed someone's immigrant ancestors. Over time, cooking odors had settled in the walls and hall runners and I suspect that no amount of paint or shampoo could ever rid the smell of cabbage from that building. Talk about déjà vu. At any rate, the Silver Fox, who doesn't do a lot of cooking, had taken over my kitchen and the odors of bacon, cabbage and onions were a sure clue that "guy" food in the wind. Strangely enough, his appetite had taken him back to a meal we both learned to cook in that old tenement building almost fifty years ago. Our landlords were a wonderful old couple who thought we were too young to be on our own. We were taken under their wings, despite protestation, and that's how it happened that two Catholic kids from the South side of Chicago ended up with a Jewish mother who taught them how to cook dishes from the ghettos of Eastern Europe. My Fox was making a version of Haluski, a somewhat heavy dish that combines noodles with copious quantities of cabbage and bacon. It is not a dish for the faint of heart or those with peckish appetites, but it is delicious and really easy to make. So easy in fact, that I'll let the recipe speak for itself. Nowadays folks make this dish with bow tie pasta. There wasn't a lot of farfalle floating around the Warsaw ghetto, so if you'd rather make the dish with noodles feel free to do so. It will be more authentic and in keeping with tradition. Here's the recipe for those of you who are really hungry.

Haluski - Polish-Style Cabbage and Noodles with Bacon...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
1/2 pound bacon, ham or Polish sausage, diced
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup onion, sliced
3 garlic cloves, chopped
8 cups cabbage, sliced
1 pound bow tie pasta, cooked
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1) Fry bacon and onions with butter and garlic in a large deep skillet.
2) Add cabbage, stir to combine and continue to saute in covered skillet until cabbage is cooked through. Add water as needed to keep cabbage from browning as it cooks.
3) Add cooked bow tie pasta and season with salt and pepper. Continue to cook until warmed through. Yield: 4 to 8 servings.

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