There is something about the sea that draws me to it. We live 500m from the beach, and if we go away in South Africa, we usually go to a coastal town along the Garden Route. We have explored the beaches from right up the West Coast all the way along to Natal. My favourite stop is the Wilderness, where the sea really sings and the dolphins play. Our April holiday is always spent going to Europe. We are doing one city at a time, exploring and getting to see the ancient buildings and ruins. We have been to many interesting cities, but each visit is punctuated by a trip to the sea. We have explored the Mediterranean from the west coast to the east coast of Italy and come very close to it in France. We have made sure to take a day out when in Rome to head to the sea, and spent an entire holiday up and down the coastal region of Brittany. This pasta is inspired from the regional products of these areas and Spain – a country still on our list of places to go.
© mediterranean pasta
MEDITERRANEAN PASTA
ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, sliced
½ red pepper, sliced
50g mushrooms, sliced
1 Spanish sausage, cut in half and sliced
1/3 cup stock
10 olives, stoned and cut in half
salt and freshly ground black pepper for seasoning
2 tablespoons cream
grated Parmesan and micro basil leaves for garnishing
method:
while your pasta is cooking, heat the oil in a large frying pan
sauté the onion and the garlic until soft
add the red pepper and the mushrooms and cook until the mushrooms are soft
add the red pepper and the stock and allow the stock to simmer
add the olives and season to taste
stir in the cream and toss the pasta in the sauce
serve with a generous grating of Parmesan cheese and the basil
MEDITERRANEAN PASTA PRINTABLE VERSION
I am submitting this recipe to Presto Pasta Nights, which is being hosted this week by Alisha of Cook.Craft.Enjoy
Tandy
I never use the term “To Die For”, But, this dish certainly looks like something to “Live For”…Lovely. When you say Spanish Sausage? Are we talking Chorizo? As here we have access to a lot of Mexican Chorizo, which, is totally different from Spanish Chorizo, and I sort of need to know what type Spanish Sausage, as I would likely be making my own. I’m sure this dish would be great with most any sausage, but, Mexican Chorizo is not a good substitute for recipes calling for Spanish Chorizo. Bless You
paul
Hi Paul, one would need a paprika heavy sausage for this meal – I am not sure what is in a Mexican chorizo, but if the sausage is pork based with paprika then it will work. Have a great weekend Tandy
This is a kind of pasta dish that we eat a lot. Easy yet so tasty & very Belgian too!
easy and tasty are always winners
Delicious. I can just use french chippolatas!!!
I love the access to ingredients you have!
Oh I LOVE the flavours here! Hubby would go nuts for this as he is a pasta fiend!
will have to send you a virtual bowl once a week
If there’s pasta in the title of a post, I’m all excited!! This is a wonderful combination using the sausage and olives….not to mention cream! All my favorites for a big comforting pasta bowl!
I could eat pasta every day
What a wonderful pasta dish, Tandy! Some of my favorite ingredients. Your April trip sounds like a blast…can’t wait to hear all about it!
thanks Caroline – this year I aim to get my holiday story written straight away
Nice trips Tandy and the pasta looks great…perfect for a weekday dinner.
Have a great week
thanks you Juliana, and you too
The place you live sounds beautiful. This recipe looks great too.
it is very beautiful Greg
I love Mediterannean flavors and ingredients. They make such simple but delicious pasta sauces. I’m jealous of your fabulous yearly European vacation!
We love seeing new places and are fortunate now that the children are nearly independent that we can afford this
Sound like my parents! I moved out, and since then they’ve gone on one big international trip a year (and few smaller in-country ones). Can’t wait ’til I’m retired
we are never going to retire – we need to work to go away!
Looks delicious, Tandy. Spain and Morocco are definitely such interesting places for a foodie like yourself to visit.
they are on the ever growing list
Your trips sound wonderful, as does the pasta. Thanks for sharing with Presto Pasta Nights.
thank you Ruth
We had a lovely holiday in Spain a few years ago, gee not long till you are off on your travels!
still 3 and a half months Sue! I want to go to Spain and Morocco at the same time if possible