Spanish Tomato & Sausage Pasta

From Albert Bevia:
Pasta is always associated with Italy, when in-fact it was created by the Chinese. It was Marco Polo who brought it to Italy in the 12th century, and shortly there after, in the 13th century it arrived in Spain. So as you can imagine, pasta is a big deal in Spain. Just most people outside of Spain are unaware.

TIPS & TRICKS to make this Recipe: I made my tomato sauce from scratch by finely grating tomatoes. But you can totally used canned tomato sauce (passata). For the sausages, I used beyond sausage, but you can use any sausage you like. From regular sausage to smoked sausage to spicy sausage.

Spanish Tomato & Sausage Pasta | Macarrones a la MadrileƱa Recipe

Watch Albert preparing this recipe: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GFKZpLwAvTc

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 30 ml
  • 1/2 onion
  • 4 cloves garlic
  • 8 tomatoes
  • 2 sausages
  • 1/2 tsp sweet smoked Spanish paprika 1.30 grams
  • 2 cups uncooked penne pasta 220 grams
  • manchego cheese
  • handful fresh parsley
  • pinch white sugar
  • sea salt & black pepper

Instructions

  1. Fill a stock pot a little over half ways with cold water, season generously with sea salt and heat it with a medium-high heat
  2. Meanwhile, finely dice 1/2 onion, roughly mince 4 cloves garlic, finely chop a handful of fresh parsley, finely grate 6 to 8 tomatoes, you want a total of 2 cups (450 grams) finely grated tomato and cut 2 sausages into rounds that are 1/4 inch (.75 cm) thick
  3. Heat a fry pan with a medium heat and add in 2 tbsp (30 ml) extra virgin olive oil, after 2 minutes add in the sliced sausage and mix with the olive oil, after 4 to 5 minutes and the sausage is lightly sauteed, remove from the pan and set aside
  4. Using the same pan with the same heat, add in the diced onion and mix with the olive oil, after 3 minutes and the onion is translucent a lightly sauteed, add in the minced garlic and continue to mix, after 30 seconds add in a generous 1/2 tsp (1.30 grams) sweet smoked paprika, quickly mix together and then add in the 2 cups grated tomato, 2 tbsp (7.60 grams) of the finely chopped parsley and season with sea salt, black pepper and a pinch of white sugar, mix together and simmer on a medium heat
  5. At this point the water should be boiling in the stock pot, add in 2 cups (220 grams) uncooked penne pasta, give it a quick mix and cook until al dente (check you pasta package for timing), then remove from the heat and drain into a colander, shake off any excess water
  6. Moving back to the tomato sauce, it should be nice & thick and all the flavors well combined, turn off the heat in the pan, add in the cooked penne pasta and mix together until well mixed
  7. Transfer the pasta into serving dishes, top off with finely grated Manchego cheese and sprinkle with freshly chopped parsley, serve at once, enjoy!