Pappardelle with rose harissa, black olives, and capers

I love to try new ingredients. I read about rose harissa on a chef's blog, and I absolutely had to try it. Harissa is a blend of spices and chillies from North Africa, Algeria, Morocco and Egypt. It is fiery, pungent and the perfect pairing for grilled meats,

I first encountered it in Morocco. It is used like ketchup here, and transformed how I used it and how much I liked it. This harissa from Belazu is phenomenal, just the right amount of heat, flavorful and wonderful. I cannot get enough of it!

I love all the Ottolenghi cookbooks. I have each and every one and cook from them often. His recipes span the globe, and every dish turns out very well. I must have cooked most of the book Plenty. This is a recipe I will cook often.

This pasta paired wonderfully with Moorish-style lamb chops. They complimented each other well, leaving your palate full of flavour and spice.

For more recipes from this cookbook, click here.

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion, finely sliced

3 tablespoons rose harissa, or more to taste

1 lb cherry tomatoes, halved

1/2 cup kalamata olives. I like the dry oil-cured type, but brined is fine. I have also used a mix of black and green olives.

2 tablespoons capers

Salt to taste

1/2 cup parsley, minced

1 lb good quality pappardelle pasta

1/2 cup Greek yogurt

Heat the oil in a pot and add the onions. Saute on medium heat until the onions are soft, caramelized, and lightly golden. Add the harissa, capers, olives, and tomatoes and cook on medium heat until the tomatoes break down and the sauce is thick, rich, and smells amazing.

Cook the pasta according to the packet instructions. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of water.

Add the pasta and broth to the sauce, mix well, and simmer for a minute.

Serve on a platter immediately topped with yoghurt and parsley.