A quick and easy, irresistibly flavorful and comforting dish, this Apricot and Chorizo Bolognese with Turmeric Pasta is perfect for week nights, and it’s also one of our favorite cozy winter recipes. As the first post of year 2016, I decided to share with you guys one of my tried and tested, incredibly flavorful, quick and easy recipes that’s perfect for weeknight meals. If you like pasta bolognese (which is basically everyone I guess), then you’re absolutely going to LOVE this. This is one of my favorite quick week night pasta recipes to make, along with my cajun chicken and sausage pasta and spicy Tuscan sausage pasta!
Chorizo Bolognese
This Apricot and Chorizo Bolognese with Homemade Turmeric Pasta is a more flavorful twist on your classic beef bolognese and will soon become a staple in your kitchen, I’m sure of it! Juicy and sweet dried apricots with hearty chorizo bolognese is as delicious as a pasta sauce can get. You can substitute homemade turmeric pasta with store-bought of course, and then toss it with some turmeric and olive oil. I have made this many times and this is probably my favorite version. It’s dairy-free as well, but you’re more than welcome to grate some Parmesan cheese on top if you like. It’s quick and easy, and is the perfect comfort food for cold weather (another dish that I’ve been making often lately is this delicious beef cannelloni). It’s drier than traditional bolognese, but has more flavor thanks to the chorizo sausage mince.
Homemade pasta
I have previously shared the recipe for brown butter pasta (AMAZING!), so making pasta at home is something I have loved doing long before I even owned a pasta machine. The first time can be a little time consuming but once you get the hang of it, it becomes addictive and you’ll soon be experimenting with different pasta flavors, like this gorgeous turmeric pasta. And of course if you have a pasta machine to do the rolling for you, it’s going to be that much easier and I’d definitely recommend homemade pasta. Mr K and I definitely prefer it over store-bought, although we do still keep a packet of dry spaghetti at home for an emergency. 🙂
Ingredients for apricot and chorizo bolognese
This apricot and chorizo bolognese is surprisingly easy. You’ll need good quality Mexican chorizo, dried apricots, cayenne pepper, garlic and onion. And with a beautifully poached egg on top, you can create something so amazing that can rival any fancy pasta dish that you’ve ever had! If you’re a regular on my blog, you’d know that I’m obsessed with the combination of spicy, sweet and savory and this one ticked all the boxes. Little pockets of dried apricots within the chorizo bolognese add juicy sweetness that perfectly complements the savory flavor profile of the pasta sauce. If you can’t get your hands on apricots, you can substitute them with raisins, though I personally prefer apricots more. Turmeric is a spice that I’m very familiar with thanks to my Asian roots. It’s what gives a lot of those yellow curries their characteristic color. It’s a mild spice with a bitter taste but a dash of it brings any curry to life. And a teaspoon of it gave this dish a brilliantly earthy, almost smoky flavor. Turmeric pasta acts as a wonderful base for the complex flavors of the chorizo bolognese as well. You can find out all about how to make homemade turmeric pasta right here. If you liked this recipe don’t forget to subscribe for new (and free) recipes by entering your email address below or on the side bar (and get all these recipes delivered straight to your inbox), so you don’t miss out on a thing. You can find me on FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM, PINTEREST and GOOGLE-PLUS too.
