Fennel & Chorizo Penne

Have your ingredients ready to go and you should be able to have it all ready in the time it takes to cook the pasta.

Cook pasta according to directions on the packet, taking care not to over-cook. If using Penne or Rigatoni, the pasta should still hold its shape.

Slice the chorizo into thin ‘coins’.

Remove the green stem and the base of the fennel, then slice the bulb finely into strips. Slice the pepper into similar sized pieces.

Heat a wok or non-stick frying pan over high heat. Cook the chorizo in batches. Stir-fry until cooked then remove with slotted spoon and set aside.

When the chorizo is all done, tip out all but a tablespoon of the oil in the wok/pan, reheat the pan then toss in the vegetables.

Stir-fry until they have softened (you can leave them with a little bit of crunch). Return the chorizo to the pan and add the chili (optional). Keep warm.

Drain the pasta, return it to the pot and keep warm until the rest of the ingredients are ready.

Combine the pasta and the chorizo, fennel & red pepper in the pasta pot. Toss to combine, and throw in a couple of handfuls of roughly chopped Italian/flat-leaf parsley.

Serve with obscene quantities of the best Parmesan cheese you can afford.

(This recipe from Donna Hay magazine)