Chorizo Pasta (So Creamy & Easy!)

Why you’ll love it

• A super quick and easy recipe! Chorizo pasta is made with only a few simple (but very tasty) ingredients in just 30 minutes.
• It’s perfect comfort food the whole family will enjoy. Creamy, cheesy and satisfying. We don’t hold back on the yummy tomato and cream sauce. And yet it isn’t as rich as you might think (see below!).
• On the lighter side. This looks and tastes creamy, but there’s actually only a small amount of cream in it. If you love the idea of this, try this lemon yogurt chicken or traditional carbonara as well.
• Add mix-ins (if you like). Got bell peppers/capsicum, spinach, mushrooms or leftover roast chicken in the fridge? Throw them in!

This makes a great simple weekend dinner! If you need more ideas, check out this list of 100 lazy Sunday dinner ideas.

About the ingredients

You’ll find a full list of ingredients with amounts in the recipe card below. But here’s a summary of what you need to know.

Chorizo: Of course, the smoky chorizo sausage is a key ingredient in this very pink pasta (or is it orange?). This is mainly what gives the tomato cream sauce its rich umami (savory) flavor. I usually go for a good quality Spanish chorizo sausage from the supermarket deli counter. Not all chorizo sausages are created equal, so it might take a couple of tries to find a really good spicy and flavorful one that you like!

I’ll just mention here that there’s also Mexican chorizo which is a bit different in flavor and texture. That doesn’t mean you can’t use it as a substitute, but instead of cubing it you’ll break it up in the pan with a wooden spoon. Remember also that it starts off raw (not cured like the Spanish variety) so you’ll need to make sure it’s cooked well.

Butter: Just a tablespoon for cooking the garlic and onions in adds a little extra luxury and flavor!

Chopped onion and garlic cloves: You can use any type of onion. Just make sure it’s chopped fairly finely so that it cooks quickly.

Cherry tomatoes: I like to add these to the sauce for extra sweetness and texture. The riper the better. Substitute a can of cherry tomatoes if you prefer.

Passata: Passata is uncooked and strained tomatoes. I usually find it in the same aisle as the pasta sauces and canned tomatoes. Don’t confuse it with tomato paste which is super concentrated cooked tomatoes, so definitely not the same thing.

Sugar: Just a teaspoon to balance out the acidity of the tomatoes. You can substitute with a natural sweetener such as honey or maple syrup if you prefer.

Pasta: The silky and creamy tomato sauce clings beautifully to wide, flat pasta noodles such as tagliatelle, fettuccine or pappardelle. Penne pasta or rigatoni, farfalle (bow-tie pasta), fusilli (spirals), shells or long pasta like linguine or even spaghetti work well, too.

Really, you can just use your favorite pasta, or whatever you have in the pantry. I even love the sauce with spaghetti or linguine.

Cream: The great thing is that you only need half a cup of heavy cream (and you can reduce this a bit more if you like). This is enough to make a perfect creamy pink sauce!

UK = Double cream. You can also use pouring/single cream or thickened cream. Creme fraiche or a little cream cheese can be good substitutes if you don’t have cream.

Basil: I like fresh basil, but dried is fine, too. Or substitute with similar herbs such as oregano, parsley, thyme or mixed Italian herbs.

Parmesan cheese: We’ve got creamy and tomato-y, now all we need is cheesy! A good quality grated parmesan is perfect.

How to make chorizo pasta

The step-by-step guide below should help you make the recipe perfectly first time. Scroll down to the end for the full recipe including ingredient amounts.

It’s insanely easy to throw together this tasty chorizo pasta recipe on a busy weeknight… or whenever!

Step 1: Cook the chopped chorizo in a large pan and a drizzle of oil for a couple of minutes. Remove from the pan into a bowl with a slotted spoon. There’ll be some of the chorizo oil left behind which will help flavor the whole dish!

Step 2: Add around a tablespoon of butter into the pan. Throw the garlic, onions, and cherry tomatoes into the sizzling butter and let the onions soften and the tomatoes cook down for ten minutes – until you can squish it into a sort of sauce.

Step 3: Meanwhile, cook the pasta until al dente (check the package instructions to see how to do this).

Step 4: Squash the lovely cherry tomatoes into a kind of sauce (a potato masher is great for this). Then stir the passata, cooked chorizo and cream in and let the sauce bubble and thicken for a couple of minutes.

Step 5: Stir through the parmesan and basil.

Step 6: Throw your cooked pasta into the lovely creamy chorizo pasta sauce and toss everything together. Loosen the dish up with a bit of the pasta water if you feel it needs it (it may not).

How to serve it

Chances are, when you’re in the mood for a comforting, creamy and simple pasta dish like this, you won’t want to make any fancy sides.

Keep it simple with your favorite garlic bread (try air fried garlic bread!) and a fresh green salad for everyone to help themselves to. If you want something just a little bit fancier, a traditional Greek salad is always a winning option.

Or even just serve your lovely bowls of chorizo creamy pasta as they are. Sprinkle over a little more parmesan and basil or chopped parsley and enjoy!

In the mood for a glass of wine with it? Fresh Spanish red wines such as a Rioja or a fruity Montsant go well with chorizo!

Variations

I love that you can switch up the chorizo cream sauce ingredients a bit depending on what you have in the fridge.

Here are some ideas:

Chicken: Got leftover rotisserie chicken (or any leftover chicken) in the fridge? Throw it in for a satisfying chicken and chorizo pasta!

Prawns: How about prawn and chorizo pasta for a classy version of this delicious pasta recipe for a date night or to serve to guests? Simply toss the prawns into the pan when you’re cooking the chorizo.

Sausage: Erm… chorizo is sausage, right? Yep, so go ahead and make this with regular sausages instead if you like! Just remember that they will need a little longer to cook.

Bacon: Love chorizo, but love bacon even more? You can definitely swap chorizo for bacon in this dish. Or even a good quality chunky ham.

Spinach: An easy way to up the nutrition value of your meal. Wilt a handful or two of spinach into the sauce just before tossing it through the pasta.

Mushrooms: Just add them at the beginning along with the onions, garlic and tomatoes.

Red or yellow peppers/capsicum: Dice them and add along with the onions.

Chorizo pasta bake: Why not bake the pasta and sauce in a baking dish (sprinkle over mozzarella first!) for 20 minutes for a pasta bake version of this dish?

Top tip: How about serving the creamy chorizo sauce over chicken or a baked potato instead? You could even try simmering some eggs in the sauce and serving for a special brunch with fresh crusty bread!

More easy pasta recipes

• Ever tried an authentic ‘no cream’ carbonara? You have to! This is so delicious and on the table in just 15 minutes.
• Easy pasta alla norma (tomato and eggplant pasta) is an Italian classic, but it’s so easy to make! If you like the sound of this but prefer to add some meat, try this eggplant with ground beef and pasta, which tastes like moussaka but is so much easier to make!
• For the ultimate simple weeknight pasta dinner, simply stir this classic marinara sauce through your favorite pasta! Prefer a punchier-flavored option? I suggest going with this delicious penne puttanesca pasta!
• 15-minute creamy pesto chicken with mushrooms and parmesan (I usually serve this with tagliatelle!)
• Chicken mushroom pasta or one pot marry me chicken pasta (another two easy creamy pasta – yum!)
• Prosciutto pasta or (keeping it veggie!) creamy pea pasta (these ones could be great for spring!)

Or take a look at all my pasta recipes.