Who knew biltong could be so versatile.. not only does it make a great healthy snack but a lot of people don't realise it can be a fantastic ingredient in lots of sauces for quick meals to, yep no need for fat to splat everywhere while browning meat.. all you need to do is blitz it in a blender (no blender..?? just chop it as finely as you can) Sometimes all I fancy is a big bowl of pasta and then I'm disappointed because I have no mince in the fridge to give the sauce that extra savoury flavour.. this is where the biltong comes in, it has a long best before date so perfect to keep in the cupboard as an essential.. the brand I find most tasty and easy to get hold of is JackLinks so I always make sure I have some available for emergency cravings.
Prep time 10mins
Cooking time 30mins
1tbsp olive oil
1 onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1/4tsp salt
1/2tsp ground black pepper
1tsp dried oregano
1tsp dried basil
400g passata
1tsp granulated sugar
300ml beef stock
200g JackLinks biltong, blitzed or chopped finely
200g dried linguine/spaghetti
2tsp fresh basil, chopped
Few grinds of black pepper
In a saucepan heat the olive oil over a medium heat, add your diced onion and gently sauté until tender, this will take somewhere between 5 and 10 mins.
Now add the garlic and cook gently for a minute, add a splash of water if the pan is bit dry, burnt garlic is the worst so don't let it stick.
After a minute add the seasonings.. salt, pepper, oregano and basil and cook for a minute.
After a minute add the passata and the sugar. The reason we add the sugar is it brings out the sweetness in the tomatoes and also takes away the 'tinny' taste if using tinned pasta .. trust me you'll notice the difference.
In with the stock and 2/3rds of the Biltong.. save a bit to scatter over the finish dish!
Let it bubble away and reduce for about 15mins stirring occasionally, you can cook your pasta according to packet instructions during this time.
Once the sauce is reduced by about half, have a taste and adjust the seasoning to your personal taste, but I guarantee 99% of you will love it just as it is.
Coat your cooked pasta in the delicious sauce, divide into bowl, sprinkle over the reserved Biltong and if using garnish with fresh basil and a crack of black pepper!!
