So there I was with a sudden craving for a meatball sandwich (something I haven’t had in YEARS) and all I had was some chorizo criollo in the fridge. It was time to improvise! The addition of spinach meant (to me) that there wasn’t any need for a side veg or salad, making it a super-simple all-in-one kind of dish, which I served open-faced as I prefer more filling/topping than bread. It also had a whack of parmesan sprinkled on top but was more photogentic without it. Makes 2-3 servings, depending on how hungry you are.

Ingredients and instructions below…

• 400 grams chorizo criollo
• olive oil
• 1 head of garlic, cloves finely sliced
• 1 small onion, finely sliced
• 1/2 360 gr jar of roasted red peppers, sliced
• freshly ground black pepper
• mixed herbs (oregano, basil, thyme)
• chili flakes (optional)
• 1 tin chopped tomatoes
• splash of dry sherry
• 175 gr baby spinach leaves
• grated parmesan cheese
• large loaf of fresh chapata bread

Wash the spinach and then wilt it, either by quickly tossing it in a hot pan or zapping it in a bowl in the microwave (I did the latter).

Brown the sausages in a bit of olive oil, then slice them and return to pan to brown both sides of slices. Set aside.

In the same pan sauté the sliced garlic and onion, season with black pepper and chili flakes. When translucent add the sliced red peppers and sauté a few minutes more. Deglaze pan with a splash of sherry and add the mixed herbs, then add the tomatoes. Stir well, add the sausage slices, then cover and simmer on low heat for half an hour, stirring occasionally.

Add the wilted spinach to the tomato/chorizo sauce and mix well.

Slice the chapata lengthwise then cut in half or thirds depending on how many pieces you want. Drizzle some olive oil over the chapata (though I also tried a piece spread with butter, which my flatmate said was WAY better).

Spoon tomato/chorizo/spinach mixture over the bread and top with grated parmesan.