When you’re overloaded with work and stresses and that endless list of chores just isn’t getting smaller, this is a perfect mid-week dinner for when you’re ravenous yet super busy with little time to faff in the kitchen. This dish can be knocked up quickly and easily without compromising on vital nourishment and taste.
I find pasta is the perfect thing to cook when I’m in a rush and although it’s coated in a fresh tomato sauce don’t fear, you won’t have to linger over a hot stove in order for your sauce to be flavourful. This speedy sauce still packs a tasty punch regardless of being prepared within 15 minutes.
The slight acidity of the tomatoes keeps the dish light which pairs well against the herby quorn sausages and earthy chestnut mushrooms. Whilst it’s definitely not good to eat quorn sausages everyday, (simply because the manufacturing process of quorn sausages is bad for the environment more so than if you were to eat livestock farming) they’re great when you’ve only got 15 minutes to knock up dinner so, you will see me nibbling on one or two once in a blue moon!
What’s more, when I’ve had a hectic day I need something comforting for dinner and that’s exactly what these sausages provide and just because I say this dish is comforting by no means assume that this recipe is stodge laden and unhealthy. On the contrary, this dish is still packed full of goodness thanks to the tomatoes (which are great for our skin) and mushrooms (packed full of vitamin D as ergosterols in mushrooms convert to vitamin D when exposed to light as well as vitamin B which is vital for a healthy nervous system). Sometimes, I also like to wilt in a bag of rocket or spinach into the tomato sauce to get my daily dose of iron packed greens.
During the cold winter months I enjoy adding some heartily spiced roasted squash that I will have leftover. More often than not I sometimes omit the sausages for butternut squash and a sprinkling of sunflower seeds.
(This recipe serves 2 but can easily be doubled etc to serve more)
INGREDIENTS:
- 25ml olive oil
- 4 quorn sausages
- red onion (sliced)
- 2 garlic cloves (finely chopped)
- tbsp tomato puree
- 1/2 tsp thyme
- 1/2 tsp oregano
- 1/2 tsp chilli flakes
- tin of tomatoes (chopped)
- seasoning
- 200g chestnut mushrooms
- 3 heaped tbsp parsley (chopped)
- 150g gluten free pasta (if you’re not gluten free whole wheat pasta is delicious)
METHOD:
1. Heat 10ml of oil in a medium sized saucepan until hot and then fry the quorn sausages for about 10 minutes shaking the saucepan regularly so the sausages brown evenly on all sides. When cooked, remove the sausages and then add another 10ml of oil to the pan. Let it heat up quickly then add the sliced red onion and fry on medium to low heat until softened, this should take 2-3 minutes. Next add the garlic and fry for 30 seconds before adding the puree, herbs and chilli. Stir the mixture so that all the onion and garlic is coated in the tomato puree. Finally add the tin of tomatoes and seasoning to taste and leave to simmer on a low heat for 10 minutes. Place a lid on top of the saucepan so that it is almost covering the whole pan, stir occasionally.
2. Whilst the sauce is simmering cook your pasta according to packet instructions although, I would recommend cooking the pasta for 1-2 minutes less than recommended.
3. Whilst the pasta and sauce is cooking, heat the last 5ml of oil in a frying pan and once hot fry the mushrooms until softened (multitasking to the max now!). If you wanted you could add some seasoning and chopped garlic. Once softened add a tablespoon of parsley to the mushrooms and leave to continue cooking until all the water that leached out of the mushrooms has evaporated.
4. After the sauce has simmered for 10 minutes check the taste to see if you want to add anymore herbs, chilli or seasoning and then chop up the sausages and add them to the sauce along with the mushrooms and remaining parsley. Allow the mixture to warm up again for a couple of minutes, meanwhile though, you can drain the pasta. Divide the pasta between two plates before piling the tomato sauce on top. Enjoy.
