A few years ago I was in my kitchen looking at a stash of black pudding I had brought back from Cork in Ireland and thinking about how well its deep earthy flavour goes with fresh zingy tomatoes. Then I thought that it would make an ace pasta sauce.
Italians, avert your eyes, but everyone else keep reading, as this is actually delicious.
It’s simple and takes less time than a proper bolognese but you are rewarded with a rich depth of flavour that would ordinarily take hours to achieve. The richness of the black pudding adds instant oomph, the chilli a little zing, and when you roast the sauce, as I do, the pudding crumbles and each little chunk bathes in a bath of tomato with a piquant tiny vinegar hit and a little sugar to tone it down a bit. When they caress the spaghetti it is a dreamy match.
So, here it is. Try it, even if you are afraid of black pudding. I promise you will enjoy.
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Serves 4
Ingredients
280g Irish black pudding
2 x 400g tinned tomatoes
2 banana shallots, peeled and finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
1 mild red chilli, de-seeded and finely chopped
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
sea salt
handful of chopped flat-leaf parsley
500g spaghetti — I recommend Pastificio dei Campi
Method
Preheat the oven to 180C. Start the sauce by sautéeing the shallot in a little light oil over a medium heat until translucent but not brown — about five minutes. Add the black pudding and sauté for a further couple of minutes.
Add the chilli and garlic for a minute or so before adding the tomatoes, sugar and vinegar. Transfer the sauce to a roasting dish and roast for 45 minutes.
In the final 10 minutes or so cook the spaghetti according to packet instructions to al dente. Remove the sauce from the oven, season, add the pasta to the sauce and mix thoroughly. Sprinkle the parsley on top and serve immediately.
Recipe and image taken from Niamh Shield’s blog Eatlikeagirl.com
