Bite You Back Pasta

Sometimes I forget to get certain ingredients at the store.  There, I said it!  Actually, sometimes I forget to write down the amount of an ingredient I need and I end up not having enough. Take this recipe for instance.  The original recipe, from Chris at Nibble Me This, has a cheese sauce made with milk and cheese (obviously).  So I picked milk up at the store and thought I was covered.  Except, I was making something else (Simple Fudge Ripple Ice Cream) that needed milk and I only got enough for that recipe. So, when I went to make this dish, I realized, a little to late, that I did not have all the ingredients to make this dish.  - Sigh -

Did I let that defeat me?  For those that know me well enough, you know that would not happen.  So I, of course, decided to improvise.  I had some goat cheese that needed to be used and I did still have the sour cream that the recipe called for... so I figured out a way to work with what I had instead of scraping the whole meal altogether.

I'm so glad I did because this pasta was amazing.  Probably one of my favorites in a long time.  But, I'll be honest with you, this pasta really can bite you back, so be careful.  If you are afraid of the heat, cut back on the jalapenos.  If you aren't, well, then by all means, enjoy this dish......and believe me, you will!

Bite You Back Pasta
Adapted from Nibble Me This
Printable Recipe 
Ingredients:
13oz whole grain penne pasta
1/2 lb ground chorizo
1 jalapeno, roughly chopped (I left the seeds in.. I like living dangerously!)
1 red sweet pepper, seeds removed and roughly chopped
1 garlic clove, finely minced
1/2 teaspoon homemade taco seasoning
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
2 oz goat cheese
2 Tablespoons sour cream

Directions:
Cook pasta according to package directions.  Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of the pasta water.  Set aside.

In a large, deep skillet, cook the chorizo over medium heat for 3 minutes.  Add the jalapeno and sweet pepper.  Cook another 3-4 minutes or until the chorizo is cooked through.  Add the garlic, taco seasoning, and oregano.  Stir to combine and cook for 1 minute.  Add the goat cheese and stir until cheese is melted.  Stir in the sour cream.  Remove from heat, add the drained pasta to skillet and toss to coat.  If the sauce is too thick, thin it out with a little pasta water.  Transfer to plates or bowls and enjoy!

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