Very quick post tonight as we’re at class and then off to see San Andreas, which will really set my phobia of dams at ease. This recipe came about because we think the Slimming World sausages taste like someone has emptied their Dyson into a condom and sealed it up. They’ve got as much kick as a dead horse. Least they’re syn free though…right? So, to liven them up, we’ve released the meat from the skin, made it into a spicy sauce and served it with rigatoni. NATCH.

You could make this syn free, just omit the wine and replace with beef stock. But like you’re going to do that eh, beetroot-nose?

This serves four, so it does.

to make spicy sausage rigatoni, you’ll need:

• a few drops of oil, or, spit, Frylight
• an onion the size of a clenched fist (normal, feminine hands – not like a Russian shot-putter)
• 4 carrots 
• a pack of SW sausages, circumcised (skin removed)
• 1tsp of oregano
• 1/2 chilli flakes
• 1tsp of salt
• 1tsp of black pepper
• a few drops of balsamic vinegar
• 100ml of wine (just the cheap stuff you use for cooking, or when ‘she’ comes around) (this is where the syns come in – 175ml of red wine is 6 syns, I’m only use about 60% of that, and this serves four, so let’s call it 4. I’m not Carol Vorderman!)
• can of chopped tomatoes
• 500g of rigatoni pasta, or more if you like
• Parmesan and finely chopped basil to serve (30g of Parmesan being your healthy extra)

to make spicy sausage rigatoni, you should:

• furiously mince, like Paul at a reduced counter, the carrots and onion – we used our fancydan blender but you could just finely grate them – cook them in the oil/Frylight until they’re soft on a medium heat;
• add the ‘meat’ from the Slimming World sausages, together with the oregano, chilli flakes, salt and pepper
• keep stirring until the sausage is cooked through and then whack the heat up for a moment and chuck the wine in – make a point of scraping around the pan to get any sticky good bits off the bottom, then reduce the heat
• add the chopped tomatoes, drop the heat, add the vinegar and leave to simmer whilst you cook the pasta
• cook the pasta, drain it, add the sauce and a few tablespoons of the water you cooked the pasta in
• dish up, adoring it with shreds of basil and finely grated Parmesan.

Rejoice! A recipe that makes the SW sausages even tastier! Somehow, by adding flavour, they become delicious! I have to say, this was one of my favourite meals in a long time. Good for taking into work the next day too.

J