This is Barry, the Happy Pumpkin. He has nothing to do with this post, but he says hi.
Basically, I think getting old has a lot going for it. Because, okay. I like going out and all, I DO. I like sticking on false eyelashes and pouring myself into a party dress and having a boogie somewhere. But the weather is getting nastier, and the evenings are getting longer, and if you gave me the choice, I'd much rather veg out on my sofa with my besties, drinking red wine and eating comfort food, and watching terrible TV. Yes, X Factor, you DO count as terrible TV. But if you were good, it wouldn't be as fun.
I don't know, I sort of think our veggy Saturday nights in should be a bit more structured, maybe with some kind of intricate poker games or something (is there such a thing as an intricate poker game? The only alternative to poker I know of is strip poker and I do not think that is very intricate) but we are lazy, and as long as there is nice food, nice drink and somewhat filthy discussions about Joseph Gordon Levitt or Channing Tatum (and that Sha's lovely fiance has something to amuse him whilst we are having these non boy-friendly discussions) then we are happy.
ANYWAY. Here is my recipe for comfort food pasta yumminess!
Sausage & Tomato Pasta With Oodles Of Red Wine
This is basically one of those 'Use up all the ingredients you have' meals so it is very slapdash. In this case because I had a ton of sausages in the freezer and then we had a power cut and everything thawed in the freezer and I had to cook everything.
But it's also very nice! I use a wok because I like to make LOTS.
You will need:
Sausages (preferably chorizo) or bacon would also be really good
Passata/Creamed Tomatoes
Red Wine (like 1/4 of a bottle or so)
Vegetables of your choice (Onions/Peppers/Mushrooms for me)
Balsamic Vinegar
Sugar or Sweetener
Paprika
Garlic
1. Chop up your meat and fry in the pan until it's cooked.
2. While it's cooking, chop up your vegetables and chuck it in the pan once the meat is cooked through.
3. Throw in some red wine and let the ingredients simmer in it for a bit and absorb the yummy flavour.
4. Pour yourself a glass of red wine. I mean, the bottle's OPEN.
5. After a few minutes, pour in the passata and stir.
6. Add 2 caps of balsamic vinegar and a tablespoonful of sugar or sweetener.
7. Add the spices of your choice - I added a teaspoon of smoked paprika and a couple of cloves of garlic, and a splash of sweet chilli sauce.
8. Stir well and then leave on a medium heat to bubble away and simmer for about 10 minutes. Put your pasta on whilst it's doing that.
9. Your sauce will be really liquid at this point but if you leave it, it will reduce down a lot and thicken nicely. Keep an eye on it - you don't want it to stick.
10. When your pasta is done, drain it, stir it into the sauce and serve with lots of cheese on top and garlic bread on the side. Nom nom nom.
Warning: You may get red wine lips as a side effect. It's perfectly normal.
Written in collaboration with Pamela Stewart.