This recipe just kind of happened one night when I was just trying to use up some odds and ends we had in the fridge. About 10% of the time I do that, it turns out amazing. This was one of those times.
I love Chorizo. I used Spanish Chorizo here, which is a totally different thing than Mexican Chorizo. If you’re a Dentonite, you can get Spanish chorizo at Target. Get the cured, salami-like stuff, not the raw sausage-meaty stuff (Mexican chorizo), though I love that as well.
If you can’t find creme fraiche (Denton Kroger has it), then whisk some sour cream together with heavy cream, until you have runny sour cream.
For the Cream Sauce
1 small leek, sliced thinly into half moons
1/2 small white onion, small dice
1 sachet (bay leaf, 10 black peppercorns, and sprig of thyme tied up in a piece of cheese cloth)
1/2 Cup Spanish chorizo, 3/8″ dice
2 1/2 Cups heavy cream
1/3 Cups creme fraiche
1 Tbs. Butter
1/8 tsp. paprika
Salt and cayenne to taste
For the pasta and garnish
1 lb. fettuccine
Handful of italian parsley, chopped
In a small saucepan over medium heat sweat the leek and onion in the butter and paprika with a pinch of salt until they start to soften, about 5 mins. Add chorizo and lower heat slightly. Cook until some of the red oil renders from the chorizo. Add cream, sachet, and a big pinch of salt. Bring to boil, then back heat down to a simmer. Simmer for about 30-35 mins, or until reduced by about a third.
When sauce is almost done simmering, cook pasta al dente in a large pot of heavily salted water (it should taste like sea water. Always cook your pasta like this!). Before draining pasta, reserve a small amount of pasta cooking water.
When sauce has reduced, remove the sachet and add the creme fraiche. Add a little pasta water to adjust the consistency. It should be slightly runnier than you want it to be when you eat it, as it will continue to steam and thicken quickly between now, and when you get it into bowls. Adjust seasoning and add sauce to pasta. Top with parsley and serve.
This was excellent. I hope you give it a try. Let me know if you like it or have any thoughts! Thanks for reading.
-Jeff
The McAdams 