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This chorizo pasta recipe is quick, easy, and has only a handful of ingredients! It’s ready in about 30 minutes.
You may also like my Easy Italian Sausage Tomato Pasta or Easy Pasta Arrabiata next.
Why you’ll love it
This is a really simple pasta dish that’s great when you just want some sausage, pasta, and a simple tomato sauce. It’s not fancy, and the chorizo really shines through. It’s one of those brilliant midweek meals that doesn’t take a lot of effort but tastes delicious.
A hint of cream helps to cut some of the acidity of the tomatoes and heat of the chorizo. It’s a nice way to balance it all out! Garlic and onions provide more layers of flavor, and there you go… there’s like 6 ingredients in this pasta with chorizo. I chose them wisely!
What you’ll need
- Pasta – I like penne, but any shape is fine
- Olive oil – for sautéing
- Chorizo – I use a spicy Spanish chorizo, but there are definitely milder ones out there that you could use
- Onion and garlic – tasty aromatics
- Diced/chopped tomatoes – they’re canned at peak ripeness and are convenient
- Cream – we’re using double cream (heavy cream)
Tools for this recipe
Check out Natasha’s favorite kitchen essentials, gadgets, and cookware!
- I use this handy garlic press to easily mince the garlic without peeling the cloves first.
- This is the enameled cast iron skillet pictured.
- Here is my favorite can opener for the tomatoes. It’s held up for years!
How to make chorizo pasta
This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
Boil the pasta until al dente. Meanwhile, add the olive oil and chorizo to a skillet. Sauté until it’s just crispy. Add in the onion, and cook until softened. Stir in the garlic, tomatoes, and cream.
Simmer the sauce until it has reduced to your liking. Give it a taste, and season with salt & pepper as needed. Drain the pasta, and toss it with the sauce. Top with parmesan if using.
Substitutions and variations
- You could sub an entirely different kind of sausage, and it’ll still be yummy. If using Mexican chorizo vs. Spanish, you may need to drain some of the fat.
- I don’t recommend substituting something lower fat for the cream. There’s a good chance it’ll curdle due to the tomatoes.
- If you’re not fond of pieces of tomato, simply use passata (tomato sauce) instead.
What to serve with chorizo pasta
- A dusting of freshly grated parmesan is wonderful on top.
- I like this one with a light salad. Try my Super Simple Parmesan Arugula Salad or a green salad.
- It’s perfect along with a slice of fresh baguette or my Garlic Bread as well.
Leftovers and storage
- Store leftover pasta with chorizo in the fridge for 3-4 days in an airtight container.
- Reheat slowly over a low heat, adding a splash more cream if needed.
- You could freeze leftover sauce, but the texture may change a bit. I’d definitely boil up fresh pasta.
If you made this simple chorizo pasta, please leave a star rating and review below! You can also tag me on Instagram if you made this or any of my recipes.
Easy Chorizo Pasta
Ingredients
- 8 ounces uncooked pasta
- 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 (8.8 ounce) coil Spanish chorizo sausage cut into small pieces
- 1/2 small onion chopped finely
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 (14 ounce) can diced tomatoes with juices
- 1/2 cup heavy/whipping cream
- Salt & pepper to taste
- Freshly grated parmesan cheese optional
Instructions
- Boil a large, salted pot of water for the pasta. Cook it until al dente according to package directions.
- Meanwhile, in a skillet over medium-high heat, add the olive oil and chorizo and fry it until it just starts to get crispy (around 5 minutes).
- Add the onion and cook it until it’s softened (about 5 minutes).
- Stir in the garlic, tomatoes, and cream. Let the sauce cook for another 5 minutes or so, or until the sauce is reduced to your liking. Taste and season with salt & pepper as needed.
- Toss with the pasta and serve with freshly grated parmesan cheese if desired.
Notes
- You can either use a mild or spicy chorizo – it’s up to you. Anything in the ballpark of 8.8 ounces (about 250g) will work. You can use partially or fully cured chorizo… it’ll all taste good. I used Spanish chorizo for this recipe (not Mexican).
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Absolutely LOVED this – quick, easy and tasty. – Hubby asked for seconds!
That’s what I like to hear! 😀
Made this tonight for supper. Used Mexican chorizo and spaghetti noodles, had no heavy cream so I used 4oz cream cheese. Turned out fantastic!! Thank you for the recipe.
You’re very welcome, Nancy!
5 stars for a quick easy I cannot be asked kind of meal. Cooked the chorizo, added a tin of cherry tomatoes and a little bit of sugar. I also added some chilli flakes as chorizo not spicy enough. Added cream and seasoned. Didn’t bother with onion or garlic as honestly the sauce didn’t need it. Was delicious with spaghetti and i also threw in some fresh spinach. Topped with grated Parmesan. Took 20 minutes at the most from deciding to cook it, to it being on the eaten.
Thanks, Lynn!
I’m trying to eat more plant based, so I used soy chorizo from Trader Joe’s and replaced the cream with unsweetened coconut cream. The chorizo didn’t slice, so we just crumbled it up. It was SO good and so quick to pull together!
Thanks so much, Gretchen!
Easy choritzo pasta,just under 30 minutes and it was on the table. A quick midweek tasty meal.
Thanks, Adrian!
Absolutely delicious and so.simple
Thankyou
You’re very welcome!
Delicious but the chorizo (from an upscale butcher shop) was very salty. I would use no or low sodium tomatoes. I also added cilantro
Yum! Kids loved it. Used whole raw chorizo which needed a bit longer than 5 minutes to get crispy.
I’m so glad it was a hit! Yes – raw chorizo definitely will take longer.
Being a retired widowed man I really like easy recipes without all the new fusion and extra items tossed into a meal just because someone online says it’s good or good for you.
This is one I will be making for years to come.
I couldn’t find Diced Tomatos here and chopping whole ones didn’t fit my plan so I used a can of Prego without any extra flavor ingredients, and used the recommended garlic. I used the amounts shown in the recipe for 4 servings.
I was very tasty but I thought the sauce was a tad thick, so watered it down a bit with maybe 1cup water. Worked out well for a semi butchered original recipe.
I will try the unbutchered version next.
Note: The original amount of 4 servings is perhaps not quite enough unless you are having something with it. I made it for 4 ( 2women, 2 larger men) was a tad short of full. Easy fix for next time.
Thanks OP
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Scott!
Made this tonight, ideal for a midweek meal, had no cream, so added some Greek yoghurt at the end, worked great.
Thanks for sharing this recipe.
You are very welcome, Dave!