This easy chorizo pasta has a smooth tomato sauce with garlic and a little chili. I make the sauce while the pasta boils, then finish everything on the stove. A fresh green salad on the side is perfect on the side.
When I buy a pack of chorizo, I often use it for two or three different recipes because you only need a little to get lots of flavor. I often cook one dish straight away and freeze the remaining sausages for another day.
Then I have some ready for a quick meal like this chorizo pasta without having to go shopping first. Because, as you will notice soon, everything else is probably already in your kitchen. I nearly always have Parmesan in the fridge and parsley in the freezer.
I fry the chorizo with onion and garlic before adding the tomatoes, so all that flavor goes into the sauce. There's no cream, and the pasta finishes cooking right in the tomato sauce, with a little of its cooking water.
For a cheesy oven-baked version, try my Chorizo Pasta Bake, made with mozzarella, cream cheese, and cherry tomatoes. Check out more easy pasta recipes.
Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 20 minutes | Ingredients: 9 + salt & pepper | Servings: 4 | Difficulty: Easy
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Recipe ingredients
Chorizo: I use Spanish cooking chorizo, the softer kind sold refrigerated for grilling, which needs to be cooked before eating. It should still be firm enough to cut into slices. Remove the casing before chopping it. My two small links weighed about 3.5 oz/ 100 g, but sizes vary, so go by weight.
- If you're looking for more ways to use chorizo, try my Chicken Chorizo Paella, Pumpkin Chorizo Soup, or Lentil Chorizo Stew.
Tomatoes: Use plain passata, also labeled strained tomatoes, sold in cartons or bottles. Choose one without added herbs or seasonings. This is not tomato paste or a ready-made pasta sauce.
Pasta: I used fusilli, but penne, rigatoni, or another short pasta shape is fine.
Red pepper flakes: Adjust the amount depending on how hot your chorizo is and how spicy you like your food. You can leave them out altogether.
Parsley: Fresh or frozen parsley is fine. I very often use frozen because I always have some. Just stir it straight into the sauce.
Parmesan: I always have a wedge in the fridge - it keeps well, and I grate whatever I need when I'm cooking.
See the recipe card for complete information on ingredients and quantities.
How to make chorizo pasta?
Pasta: Bring the pasta water to a boil while you prepare the sauce. Salt the boiling water and cook the pasta for 3 minutes less than the package instructions. Reserve a mugful of pasta water, then drain and immediately add the pasta and about one-third of the reserved water to the tomato sauce.
Step #1: Peel and chop the chorizo. Finely chop the onions and garlic.
Step #2: Cook sausage and onion for about 4 minutes. Add garlic and pepper flakes and stir for 1 minute.
Step #3: Add tomatoes, salt, and pepper and simmer while the pasta cooks.
Step #4: Add drained pasta and some cooking water. Continue simmering the sauce until the pasta is done to your liking, about 3 minutes, but check. Add parsley and adjust the taste.
Recipe tips
Don't fully cook the pasta in the pot. Drain it about 3 minutes before the time stated on the package. It will finish cooking in the tomato sauce.
Save some pasta water before draining. I scoop out a mugful rather than measuring it exactly. Start by adding about â…“ cup to the sauce, then add a little more if needed.
Keep an eye on the sauce. If it thickens too much while you're waiting for the pasta, turn the heat down and add a splash of pasta water.
Taste before adding more salt. The chorizo, salted pasta water, and Parmesan are all salty, so check again after combining everything. The same goes for the red pepper flakes; if the chorizo you use is hot, you might need less added heat, or none at all.
Storage
Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for 3-4 days. Get them into the fridge within 2 hours of cooking.
Freeze for up to 3 months and thaw overnight in the fridge. The pasta will be a little softer after thawing.
Reheat in a skillet with a splash of water, stirring occasionally, or in the microwave. Heat until piping hot throughout, adding a little more water if the sauce is too thick.
What to serve with it?
Serve the chorizo pasta on its own or add a salad or vegetables on the side. A slice of bread is always good for any tomato sauce left on the plate.
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📖 Recipe
Easy Chorizo Pasta
Equipment
- Large pot for cooking the pasta
- Large skillet
Ingredients
- 1 lb pasta Note 1
- 3.5 oz Spanish chorizo about 2 small links, peeled and cut into half-moons
- 1 medium onion finely chopped
- 2 large garlic cloves finely minced
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 cups passata strained tomatoes, Note 2
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes or to taste, Note 3
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt plus more for the pasta water
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 small bunch parsley finely chopped
- 2-3 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan to serve, Note 4
Instructions
- Cook the pasta: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Meanwhile, start making the sauce. Once the water boils, salt it generously and add the pasta. Cook for 3 minutes less than the package instructions indicate. Save some pasta water before draining. I scoop out a mugful. Start by adding about â…“ cup to the sauce, then add a little more if needed.1 lb pasta
- Prepare the ingredients: While the water heats, peel the chorizo and cut it into half-moons. Finely chop the onion and mince the garlic.3.5 oz Spanish chorizo + 1 medium onion + 2 large garlic cloves
- Sauté: Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chorizo and onion and cook for about 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.1 tablespoon butter + chorizo + onion; garlic + ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- Simmer the sauce: Add the passata, salt, and black pepper. Stir well and simmer gently until the pasta is ready to add.2 cups passata + ½ teaspoon fine sea salt + ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- Finish cooking the pasta: Add the drained pasta and reserved cooking water to the skillet. Stir well and cook for about 3 minutes, stirring frequently, until the pasta is cooked to your liking.
- Finish and serve: Stir in the parsley and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat. Stir in half the Parmesan and sprinkle the rest over each serving, or serve with all the Parmesan sprinkled on top.1 small bunch parsley + 2-3 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan
Notes
- Pasta: I used fusilli, but any short pasta shape works well.
- Tomatoes: Use plain passata (strained tomatoes), sold in cartons or bottles. Choose smooth, strained tomatoes rather than tomato paste or a ready-made pasta sauce.
- Heat: If the chorizo is very hot, adjust the amount of red pepper flakes you use, or leave them out completely.
- Parmesan: I always use freshly grated Parmesan from a wedge.
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