Spicy Chorizo and Prawn Pasta is the perfect meal for busy weeknights when you need something ready on the table in 15 minutes. This easy pasta dish is the perfect combination of smoky & crispy chorizo and juicy plump king prawns.
Serve this delicious shrimp pasta with a bowl of Turkish Shepherd Salad (Coban Salatasi) for a weeknight feast!
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This tomato-based pasta dish is made with fresh and simple ingredients yet still delicious enough to impress the whole family. It has a hint of smokiness coming from spicy chorizo and smoked paprika.
Watch the short video attached to the recipe card that shows how to peel and devein raw prawns.
Why This Recipe Works?
- Chorizo and Prawn Pasta is a perfect weeknight meal, it is ready in just 15 minutes.
- The sauce doesn't have any cream which makes it a relatively healthy pasta dish (641 calories per portion).
- Same as BBQ Garlic Butter Prawns, Baked Sea Bass in Foil - Firinda Levrek, and Calamari Fritti, this seafood dish is very easy to make yet still impressive enough to serve your guests.
- This pasta is a great surf 'n' turf dish made with chorizo & prawn - a match made in heaven!
What is Chorizo?
Chorizo is a spicy Spanish sausage that adds smokiness and a slight sweetness to the dishes. It has a bright red color and is often flavored with garlic, chili, and pimentón.
It pairs perfectly with chicken, prawns (shrimps), or any other meat as well as vegetables such as potatoes, red onions, or red peppers. You can add it to your pasta dishes, stews, or paella. It is also a great topping for pizza or a Spanish omelet.
Ingredients and Substitutes
What Prawns Are Best For Pasta?
Fresh raw tiger prawns are the best option, they're big and juicy and taste amazing. Buy fresh prawns with shells and heads, if you can.
However, peeled and deveined prawns make life easier so it's up to you what prawns to use.
For a convenient alternative, use regular raw prawns; they're smaller but cheaper and still taste great.
What Chorizo To Use?
I prefer using 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.
If you love chorizo, you might want to check my deliciously creamy Chicken and Chorizo Pasta recipe!
- Cherry Tomatoes - They have a sweeter taste than regular tomatoes. Alternatively, you can use red & juicy summer tomatoes.
- Red Wine - Use a good quality wine that you would enjoy drinking as it affects the taste of the dish. You can omit it if you want a non-alcohol sauce.
- Garlic - You can turn it into a paste with a Mortar and Pestle or grate using a Microplane zester before adding it to the sauce.
- 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.
- Parsley - Fresh parsley works great with pasta dishes but there are many other fresh herbs you can add to your pasta such as dill, basil, or chives.
- Pasta - I prefer using 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:
Boil some water in a large pot and cook your pasta following the instructions on the packaging.
If you are using fresh pasta, it will take less time to cook. Let your water boil and add the fresh pasta at the very last minute.
Proceed to make the sauce while the pasta is cooking.
Place a wok or a large pan on medium heat and add the chorizo when the pan is hot. Fry them until crisp.
Remove the chorizo from the pan and set it aside on a plate.
Add the prawns to the pan and cook for a minute, until they turn pink. Don't be tempted to cook longer as they will get cooked more when finishing the sauce.
Remove the prawns from the pan and set them aside on a plate. Add the butter to the pan and add the chorizo, and sauté for another minute until they are crispy.
Add the onions and garlic to the pan, and sauté for a minute until slightly softened.
Add the peppers and sauté them for a minute before adding the red wine. Cook it off until the wine evaporates.
When the wine evaporates, add the tomatoes, tomato paste, smoked paprika, salt, freshly ground black pepper, and chilies (if using).
Cook them until the tomatoes are slightly softened, add some pasta cooking water, and cook for a few more minutes.
Add the parmesan cheese, herbs, and pre-cooked prawns to the sauce, give it a good stir and add the cooked pasta to the sauce. Nicely combine the pasta with the sauce and cook them together for another minute before serving.
Top Tips From The Chef
- Make sure you boil the water before adding it to your pasta.
- When cooking your pasta, follow the cooking instructions on the packaging to avoid overcooking it.
- Always keep some pasta cooking water to add to your sauce as it helps thicken the sauce and gives a velvety texture.
- Don't overcook the prawns, they will get rubbery and tasteless if you cook more than is stated in the recipe.
Serving Suggestions
This tomato-based spicey & smokey surf 'n' turf pasta dish pairs perfectly with a bowl of refreshing salad such as Rocket and Parmesan Salad, Lebanese Fattoush Salad, Indian Chickpea Salad, or Greek Cucumber Salad.
I also love to serve pasta with some bread to mop up the sauces. My favorite ones are Pakistani Roghni Naan, Turkish Pide Bread, Homemade Sandwich Bread, and Pitka (Bulgarian Christmas Bread).
Recipe FAQs
Chorizo is a spicy sausage flavored with garlic, chili, and pimentón. It is not overpowering when used in pasta dishes. If you don't like it too spicy, make sure to leave the chili out of your recipes.
You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container refrigerated for up to 3 days. Alternatively, you can keep them in the freezer for up to 3 months.
This tomatoey pasta sauce goes well with almost any pasta type, but specifically with tubular types such as penne, rigatoni, and ziti.
Related Recipes
For more scrumptious pasta recipes why not try:
Did you make this recipe? Please let me know how it turned out! Leave a comment below and tag @cookingorgeous on Instagram and hashtag it #cookingorgeous.
I hope you enjoy the process of making this spicy and flavorsome pasta dish as much as you enjoy eating it! 🙂
Bon appétit! / Afiyet Olsun!
Chorizo and Prawn Pasta
Equipment
- 1 Saucepan
Ingredients
- 50 g chorizo (sliced)
- 300 g tiger or king prawns
- 20 g butter
- 1 small red onion (sliced)
- 2 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
- 50 g pepper (green, orange, yellow or red)
- ¼ cup red wine
- 150 g cherry tomatoes (cut in halves)
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon chili flakes or powder (optional)
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 100 g grated parmesan or pecorino cheese
- ⅓ cup pasta cooking water
- ¼ cup chopped parsley
- 400 g pasta of your choice
Instructions
- Boil some water in a large pot and cook your pasta following the instructions on the packaging and proceed to make the sauce while it is cooking.
- Place a wok or a large pan on medium heat and add the chorizo when the pan is hot. Fry them until crisp.
- Remove the chorizo from the pan and set it aside on a plate.
- Add the prawns to the pan and cook for a minute, until they turn pink. Don't be tempted to cook longer as they will get cooked more when finishing the sauce.
- Remove the prawns from the pan and set them aside on a plate.
- Add the butter to the pan and add the chorizo, saute for another minute before adding the red onions and garlic.
- Saute the onions for a minute until slightly softened and then add the peppers.
- Sauté the peppers for a minute and then add the red wine.
- Let the wine evaporate and then add the tomatoes, tomato paste, smoked paprika, salt, freshly ground black pepper, and chilies (if using).
- Cook them until the tomatoes are slightly softened, add some pasta cooking water, and cook for a few more minutes.
- Add the parmesan cheese, herbs, and pre-cooked prawns to the sauce, give it a good stir and add the cooked pasta to the sauce.
- Nicely combine the pasta with the sauce, and cook together for another minute before serving.
Video
Notes
- Make sure you boil the water before adding it to your pasta.
- When cooking your pasta, follow the cooking instructions on the packaging to avoid overcooking it.
- Always keep some pasta cooking water to add to your sauce as it helps thicken the sauce and gives a velvety texture.
- Don't overcook the prawns, they will get rubbery and tasteless if you cook more than is stated in the recipe.
- You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container refrigerated for up to 3 days. Alternatively, you can keep them in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
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Jeremy
I love a good pasta dish and this looks absolutely delightful!
Adrian
The whole family loved it, thanks for sharing this delicious pasta recipe!
Lydia
Absolutely fabulous. Easy to follow. And the taste was incredible. Thank you!
Ayla Clulee
I’m glad you loved it, Lydia! Thank you for your review.
Brian
Simple but delicious! Ingredients merge well so don’t improvise. Just enjoy this quick meal and wow some guests.
Amy
Delicious!!
Made this tonight. Wow, it’s really tasty and so quick and easy.