Italian-Style Chicken and Sausage Noodles

Ingredients:

• 340 g of boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1 cm pieces
• 225 g sweet or chopped into 1 cm pieces spicy Italian sausage
• 340 g spaghetti, broken into 8 cm long pieces
• Salt and ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon dried marjoram or oregano
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 2 medium onions, diced
• 3 chopped cloves of garlic
• 2 bay leaves
• 3/4 cup tomato puree
• Grated Manchego or Parmesan cheese for serving (optional)

Preparation:

1. Bring water to a boil in a large kettle or saucepan. Season the chicken and sausage with 2 teaspoons of salt, 1 teaspoon of pepper, and marjoram. Heat the oil in a heavy saucepan over high heat. Add the chicken and sausage and fry until golden brown on all sides, about 5 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer to a plate.
2. Add the onion, garlic, bay leaf, and tomato puree to the pan. Reduce the heat and cook, stirring, until the oil is deep red and the onion is soft, 6-8 minutes. If the onion sticks, add a little water and scrape it from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon.
3. Add the spaghetti to the onion mixture and quickly cook, stirring constantly, until golden brown, about 6 minutes. Add the chicken and sausage and pour in enough boiling water to cover the pasta by 1.5 cm.
   
   Simmer, stirring once or twice, for about 10 minutes (the pasta should be al dente and the sauce should thicken). Season with salt and pepper and sprinkle with cheese, if desired.