Chicken and Chorizo Pasta is a comforting pasta dish made with juicy chicken pieces and smoky chorizo sausages cooked in a creamy tomato sauce. This quick and easy recipe is ready in 20 minutes, a perfect weekday meal after a busy day at work!
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This perfectly flavoured chicken and chorizo recipe makes a great family meal when served with a bowl of salad (try my Rocket and Parmesan Salad or Greek Cucumber Salad) and some cheesy garlic bread.
Why This Recipe Works?
- This creamy pasta dish is very quick and extremely easy, it's ready in 20 minutes!
- It's hearty, delicious and made with fresh ingredients.
- You can freeze the leftovers for up to 3 months.
- It's a great pasta dish that the whole family would enjoy.
Ingredients and Substitutes
- Chicken - I use boneless skinless chicken thighs cut into bite-sized pieces in this recipe. You can use chicken breasts if you prefer. If your chicken is frozen, make sure to defrost or thaw it before using it.
- Chorizo - I buy a good quality, fresh chorizo sausage from my local deli shop. Alternatively, you can buy it from your supermarket's charcuterie section. Sucuk (Turkish spicy sausage) is a great alternative for non-pork eaters.
- Red Onions - I like using red onions in this dish for their sweetness but you can substitute them with shallots or regular onions.
- Red Peppers - You can use bell peppers or Romano peppers as well as yellow or orange peppers.
- Garlic - Fresh garlic is a great flavouring that adds sweetness and nuttiness to dishes. Turn it into a paste with a Mortar and Pestle or grate it using a Microplane Zester Grater. You can use garlic purée or powder if you don't have any fresh garlic.
- Tomatoes - I like using red & juicy summer tomatoes when they are available. Cheery tomatoes are also great for this dish. Remove the eye of the tomatoes and cut them into small dice before adding them to the sauce.
- Double Cream - It's also known as heavy cream. You can use single cream for a lighter option, just make sure you reduce it to a thick consistency for a velvety sauce.
- Mascarpone Cheese - It adds extra creaminess to the sauce but you can skip it and add extra cream instead if you prefer.
- Parmesan Cheese - Freshly grate the parmesan cheese just before using and stay away from grated parmesan as it won't melt smoothly. You can also use pecorino cheese.
- Spices - Adjust the amount to your taste. You can use smoked paprika for a smokier taste or add chilli flakes for more heat.
- Parsley - It is the perfect match for this pasta dish. You can also use basil, chervil or marjoram.
- Pasta - Tubular shaped pasta such as penne, rigatoni or ziti works great with this hearty tomato-based sauce.
Step-by-Step Instructions
It is very easy to make this delicious pasta dish and to achieve the best results, you need to follow a few simple steps:
- Start by cooking the pasta in boiling salty water following the instructions on the packaging. Depending on the type of pasta you use, this usually takes 8-12 minutes.
- Place a wok or a large pan on medium heat then add the chorizo sausages. Cook the chorizos for a couple of minutes until they are crispy and have released their fat, and set them aside on a plate. Brown the chicken pieces in two batches on the same wok with the fat from the chorizo. Add some butter if there isn't enough fat or remove some using a spoon if there is too much. Set them aside on a plate. Sauté the sliced onions in the same wok, and add some more butter if necessary.
- Add the peppers and sauté for another minute before adding garlic. Cook the garlic for 30 seconds and then add the tomatoes along with the cajun spices, freshly ground black pepper and salt.
- Stir well and cook for a few minutes and then stir in the mascarpone cheese. Add the double cream and simmer the sauce for a few minutes. Return the chicken pieces and chorizo into the wok, cook for a few more minutes and then add the parmesan cheese.
- Drain the pasta and add it to the sauce, cook the pasta for a couple of more minutes in the sauce. Add chopped parsley to pasta, and give it a good stir. Garnish with some more parmesan cheese and parsley before serving.
Related Recipes
For other great pasta recipes why not try:
Yes, this pasta dish freezes beautifully and keeps for up to 3 months in the freezer. Make sure you completely thaw it in the fridge overnight before reheating it.
You can keep this pasta dish in the fridge for up to 5 days in an airtight container. Alternatively, you can freeze it for up to 3 months.
You can reheat any leftover pasta dish in a microwave. Place the pasta in a microwave-safe dish and reheat it for 1½ to 2 minutes, checking and stirring it gently every 30 seconds.
Top Tip From the Chef
Make sure you put plenty of salt in your pasta water and keep a small cup of it when you’re draining the pasta. If your pasta sauce is too thick, stir in a little of the water to make it smooth & velvety again.
I hope you enjoy the process of making this chicken and chorizo recipe as much as you enjoy eating it! 🙂
Bon appétit! / Afiyet Olsun!
Did you make this recipe?
Please let me know how it turned out for you! Leave a comment below and tag @cookingorgeous on Instagram and hashtag it #cookingorgeous.
Chicken and Chorizo Pasta
Equipment
Ingredients
- 60 g chorizo sausage (sliced)
- 400 g boneless skinless chicken breast or chicken thigh (cut in bite sized pieces)
- 20 g butter (optional)
- 1 red onion (sliced)
- 1 red bell pepper (sliced)
- 2 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
- 2 medium tomatoes (chopped)
- ½ tablespoon cajun spices
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 30 g mascarpone cheese (optional)
- 150 ml double cream or heavy cream
- 100 g parmesan cheese (grated)
- 2 tablespoon chopped parsley
- 400 g pasta (rigatoni, penne or ziti)
Instructions
- Start by cooking the pasta in boiling salty water following the instructions on the packaging. Depending on the type of pasta you use, this usually takes 8-12 minutes.
- Place a wok or a large pan on medium heat then add the chorizo sausages.
- Cook the chorizos for a couple of minutes until they are crispy and have released their fat, set them aside on a plate.
- Brown the chicken pieces in two batches on the same wok with the fat from the chorizo. Add some butter if there isn't enough fat or remove some using a spoon if there is too much. Set them aside on a plate.
- Sauté the sliced onions in the same wok, add some more butter if necessary.
- Add the peppers and sauté for another minute before adding garlic.
- Cook the garlic for 30 seconds and then add the tomatoes along with the cajun spices, freshly ground black pepper and salt.
- Stir well and cook for a few minutes and then stir in the mascarpone cheese.
- Add the double cream and simmer the sauce for a few minutes.
- Return the chicken pieces and chorizo into the wok, cook for a few more minutes and then add the parmesan cheese.
- Drain the pasta and add it to the sauce, cook the pasta for a couple of more minutes in the sauce.
- Add chopped parsley to pasta, give it a good stir.
- Garnish with some more parmesan cheese and parsley before serving.
Nutrition
FOOD SAFETY
- Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
- Don’t leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
See more guidelines at USDA.gov.
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Jenny
Made this pasta dish for a last minute family dinner and everyone loved it! Very tasty and easy to put together.