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Filipino Black Bean and Sausage Rigatoni

Filipino Black Bean and Sausage Pasta

Closely adapted from Chris Urbano. Be sure to read the notes because both longganisa and Cuban oregano are hard to find and the substitutes require some changes in the cooking instructions.

Course Entree
Cuisine Filipino
Keyword pasta
Servings 4 people

Ingredients

  • 1 lb longganisa or chorizo*
  • 1-2 T olive oil
  • 1 T minced garlic (see notes only use with chorizo)
  • 1 medium white or yellow onion, sliced thinly
  • 1 large sweet bell pepper, sliced thinly
  • 6-8 fresh Cuban oregano leaves, sliced thinly See note for substitutes
  • 1 cup red wine (ideally lighter, such as pinot noir)
  • 1/2 cup fermented black beans, soaked in hot water until they are soft (start with 20 minutes)
  • 2 cups cherry or grape tomatoes, sliced in half
  • salt to taste
  • freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • 10 oz dried tubular pasta, cooked al dente
  • Some chopped fresh herb: mint, Italian parsley or even a little basil, only a sprinkling per plate

Instructions

  1. If using longganisa, boil it until it is dark brown and then remove casing and cut into small pieces. If using chorizo, heat a large skillet over medium high heat and brown the sausage with a drizzle of oil. When browned, remove the sausage and set aside. (see note below)

  2. Add more oil to the pan if needed (or if you are using longganisa, now it is time to pull out the large skillet and add some oil!). Heat it over medium heat and add the garlic if you used chorizo and let it cook for 30-60 seconds (watch it and do not let it burn!). Then add the onion and bell pepper with a pinch of salt (start with the onion and bell pepper if you used longganisa). Add dried Mexican oregano now if you are using it. Sauté for 5 minutes.

  3. Add the boiled longganisa (or browned chorizo) to the pan with the Cuban oregano strips. Stir and let cook another 5 minutes.

  4. Add the red wine and scrape up any browned bits. Bring to a simmer and cook until it is reduced, 3-5 minutes.

  5. Add the tomatoes and the soaked black beans. Simmer on low heat for 10-15 minutes, until the tomatoes start to break up.

  6. Taste for more salt and add freshly ground black pepper.

  7. Toss the al dente pasta into the pan (if there is no room, combine them in a larger bowl). Serve garnished with a sprinkle of chopped fresh herbs.

Recipe Notes

*If you use longganisa, Urbano calls for boiling the sausage in its casing until dark brown. Then he calls for removing the casing and cutting it into little chunks. Because I was using Spanish chorizo I skipped this and just browned the chunks of sausage in the cooking pan first. Most Mexican chorizo where I am is meant to be removed from the casing and then cooked, so I would proceed similarly with Mexican chorizo and just brown it in the pan. 

Another note on longganisa--it is apparently quite garlicky. So if you have to use chorizo, do add some garlic to the dish.

Cuban oregano, also called Mexican mint, is in the mint family; I could not find any and have never eaten it, but online I found that it was much stronger than Mediterranean or Mexican oregano and I also found reference to it having anise notes. I decided to use dried Mexican oregano, 1 teaspoon, which I crumbled into the cooking with the onions. I also garnished with just a tiny bit of mint for freshness and green. Urbano does not call for any particular herb to garnish the cooked dish but his picture does show something that could be mint or Cuban oregano.