Description
This **Chorizo Pasta** is bold, creamy, and irresistibly satisfying. Juicy, smoky chorizo combines with a rich tomato cream sauce and tender pasta for a weeknight dinner that feels restaurant-worthy but comes together in under 30 minutes. Perfect for busy nights when you need comfort and big flavor fast.
Ingredients
Scale
- 300g (10.5 oz) rigatoni or any short pasta
- 250g (9 oz) chorizo sausage, chopped or crumbled
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 small onion, finely diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- ½ tsp chili flakes (optional)
- ½ cup tomato paste
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Fresh parsley or basil, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Cook Pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta until al dente. Reserve ½ cup pasta water, then drain.
- Cook Chorizo: In a skillet, heat olive oil. Cook chorizo 4–5 minutes until browned. Remove with slotted spoon, leaving oil in pan.
- Sauté Aromatics: Add onion and cook until soft. Stir in garlic, smoked paprika, and chili flakes. Cook 1 minute.
- Make Sauce: Stir in tomato paste and cook 2–3 minutes until darkened. Pour in cream, bring to a gentle simmer, and stir in Parmesan until smooth.
- Combine: Add pasta and chorizo to sauce. Toss to coat, adding reserved pasta water as needed to loosen.
- Serve: Season to taste, garnish with parsley or basil, and serve hot with extra Parmesan.
Notes
- Use raw Mexican chorizo for the best flavor infusion in the sauce.
- Reserve pasta water to adjust sauce consistency.
- Add spinach, mushrooms, or zucchini for extra veggies.
- Swap heavy cream with Greek yogurt or coconut cream for a lighter option.
- Penne, fusilli, or cavatappi also work beautifully with this sauce.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Dinner, Pasta
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian, Fusion
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 560
- Sugar: 5g
- Sodium: 920mg
- Fat: 32g
- Saturated Fat: 15g
- Unsaturated Fat: 14g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 45g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 24g
- Cholesterol: 95mg
Keywords: Chorizo Pasta, Creamy Chorizo Pasta, Chorizo Dinner Recipes, Chorizo Sausage Pasta, Ground Chorizo Recipes Dinner, Weeknight Pasta Recipes