One thing was in mind when coming up with this pasta – trying to replicate the flavours of the chorizo sausage.  Now although I’ve never tried the real thing, I’ve always imagined how it tasted – the smokey flavours of parpika, a hint of spice with chilli, a little deepness and some tang with some red wine vinegar and sharpness with mustard.

I’ve added a meat subsitute of vegetarian hot dogs, but I’m sure some areas around the world have the real thing of vegetarian/vegan chorizo, which will definitely add to this attempt of a Spanish-inspired dish!

If anyone has tasted the real thing, feel free to add some comments about what it does taste like and how much this is or is not like the real Chorizo flavour!

Makes:

• 3-4

Ingredients:

• 500 grams button mushrooms, sliced roughly
• 1.5 leeks, sliced thinly
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 2 tbs paprika
• 2 tbs red wine vinegar
• 1 tbs soy sauce
• 1 tsp cumin
• 4 vegetarian/vegan hot dogs, sliced thinly
• 1 tbs dijon mustard
• 10 black olives, whole and pitted
• 1 tsp chilli paste (to taste)
• 4 tbs tomato passata
• 200 grams dry fettucine
• 1 tsp white pepper
• pinch salt
• drizzle olive oil

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C or 350 degrees F.
2. Drop the mushrooms and leeks into a tray with a little olive oil and seasoning.  Place in the oven.
3. Boil your pasta and once a little under al dente, remove from the pot, setting aside.
4. Once the mushrooms and leeks have browned off, mix through all the other ingredients minus the pasta.
5. Cook for another 30 minutes, stirring through once.
6. Grab your pasta and stir thoroughly, before placing back in the oven for another 20 minutes.
7. Pull the pasta out and allow to sit for a couple of minutes before serving.