Fast Chorizo Carbonara (only 5 Ingredients!)
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An amazing twist on traditional carbonara, this chorizo carbonara will awaken your taste buds and senses! The zesty chorizo sausage brings more life to this dish than pancetta or guanciale ever could! And with just 5 ingredients, you will have the perfect pasta dish on your table in less than 20 minutes. What a fantastic weeknight dinner!
Table of Contents
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Fast: Because this carbonara with chorizo recipe is made using spaghetti noodles instead of some of the other thicker noodles, it is done in just 20 minutes. Perfect for a busy weeknight.
- Pantry Staples: Using just 5 simple pantry ingredients, this chorizo carbonara recipe is super easy to make at a moment’s notice.
- Zesty: The absolute best part of this spaghetti chorizo carbonara is the zesty flavor and spice you’ll get from the rendered fat in the chorizo sausage. It just can’t be beat!
- Versatile: This recipe is easy to substitute with things you already have like different pasta, bacon, prawns, or even chicken.
Carbonara is my absolute favourite pasta recipe. So to develop a chorizo carbonara recipe and publish it on my site, I feel even more passionate than usual about perfecting the method and ingredients.
Switching the traditional pancetta/guanciale with chorizo is a great substitution. The fat that renders from the deeply seasoned chorizo balances really well with the rich flavours of the egg yolks in the carbonara, and also adds a hint of spice!
You can whip up this spaghetti chorizo carbonara in less than 20 minutes, so it’s ideal for a weeknight dinner, a dinner party (you’ll want to show off this meal) or a quick meal to make on those hungover sundays. It’s the perfect treat.
Other chorizo recipes for you to try after this one ; Spanish Chorizo and Butter Bean Slow Cooker Stew, Chicken and Chorizo Paella and Easy Chicken and Chorizo Risotto
What is Chorizo Sausage?
Chorizo can be found in Spain or Mexico. Mexican chorizo is a sausage made from pork and flavored with chiles and vinegar. Spanish chorizo (which is in this recipe) can be made from pork or beef and is normally seasoned with paprika, herbs, and garlic. Some chorizo can also be spicy depending on what other spices were added. Chorizo is a great budget friendly choice to add to carbonara instead of pancetta, guanciale, or even streaky bacon.
Variations/Substitutions
There are a lot of ways to make this chorizo carbonara in a way that works for you. Here are some great options for carbonara variations and substitutions:
- Change out the protein: There are loads of other proteins you can use in carbonara. Either add them by themselves or add them with the chorizo. Here are a few: chicken and chorizo, prawns and chorizo, or chicken alone and prawns alone.
- Use different pasta: If you don’t have spaghetti on hand, use what you’ve got. Penne, rigatoni, and even orzo will work just as well.
- Change the cooking method: Most carbonara pasta recipes are made in a skillet, but try changing things up and baking it afterward for a carbonara casserole.
- No egg: This can easily become a vegan pasta dish by skipping the real eggs and opting for vegan eggs. I have made it this way many times and it comes out just as delicious.
- Add cream: If you want things creamy, make them extra creamy by adding cream. This is actually called dirty carbonara, but if this is how you like it, then you do you.
- Use cream cheese: For extra cheesy flavor and creaminess, you can add about 4 ounces of cream cheese.
- Add veggies: my favorite vegetable addition to this meal is broccoli, but sometimes cauliflower will do as well.
Ingredients
Spanish chorizo
The intense flavour of the chorizo takes this carbonara to the next level. It’s salty, mildly spicy, and the fat that renders out of the chorizo when heated on low, gives the carbonara a beautiful colour and flavour.
Spaghetti
I use spaghetti for this chorizo carbonara recipe but you could use your favourite pasta shape, I also love using rigatoni for carbonara.
Eggs
Eggs are the foundation to any carbonara recipe. But remember to only use the yolks. The fat in the yolks are part of the delicious creaminess of the sauce.
Parmesan
My version of this recipe uses regular parmesan so the price of the dish stays reasonable. But if you feel like splurging, you can use the traditional pecorino romano.
Garlic
Ok so we’re breaking tradition even more here. The garlic just adds an extra level of flavour but seeing as we’re already using chorizo, I thought we could break the rules a bit more.
See the recipe card for full information on all ingredients and quantities.
Creamy Chorizo Carbonara: without Cream
Anyone can just throw some chorizo in spaghetti and call it a day, but adding a creamy carbonara sauce is what elevates this dish and makes you want to eat it every day of the week!
One of the best things about chorizo carbonara is that it is creamy but it has no cream in it! How is that possible you ask? Well, the ‘creamy’ element of a carbonara comes from the combination of eggs, parmesan and pasta water. By mixing the three together, you get a thick, rich sauce that takes plain old spaghetti with chorizo to that elevated level we just talked about.
If you love chorizo, you’ll need to try my; Chicken and Chorizo Risotto, Prawn and Chorizo Pasta and Creamy Chicken and Chorizo Pasta
How to make chorizo carbonara
- Cut the chorizo into cubes and add to large/deep frying pan on a low heat with the olive oil (Image 1).
- Now fry gently on a low heat for around 8 minutes to render the delicious fat out of the chorizo. Add the minced garlic for the last 2 minutes of fry time (Image 2).
3. Meanwhile, add your spaghetti into heavily salted boiling water, timer set to 2 minutes minus the packet time (Image 3).
4. Mix together 3 egg yolks, 1 whole egg and the parmesan. Season generously with pepper and a pinch of salt. Add a ladle of pasta water into the egg/parm mix and whisk to temper the eggs (Image 4).
5. Once the chorizo has fried and the pasta cooked, reserve the pasta water and add the strained pasta into the chorizo and the spaghetti stir for one minute before turning off the heat (Image 5).
6. Now that the heat is off and the pan is less hot, add the egg/cheese mix into the spaghetti whilst continuously stirring. Add the pasta water when necessary to loosen the sauce (Image 6).
Other spaghetti recipes for you to try; Meatball Marinara with Spiralized Courgette and Wholewheat Spaghetti, Spicy Crab Linguine and Lentil Bolognese
Top tips for the best results
Use a low low heat to render the fat from the chorizo. If you add the chorizo to a hot pan, you’ll sear the outside of the sausage allowing less fat to be rendered. We really want this oil to render as much as possible as it’s going to coat the spaghetti.
Salt the pasta water! As there are minimal ingredients to this chorizo carbonara recipe, we want to ensure that each ingredient is individually seasoned, including the pasta and pasta water.
Temper your eggs: By adding a ladle of pasta water into the cheese/egg mix, we’re ‘tempering’ the eggs, which means we’re reducing the contrast in temperature between the egg/cheese and the contents of the pan.
Don’t scramble the eggs! One of the easiest mistakes to make when making chorizo carbonara is to add the egg/cheese/pasta water mixture while the dish is over the heat. To avoid scrambling your eggs, make sure the pan is removed from the heat before adding the mixture.
Other easy pasta recipes to give you inspiration: Pink Sauce Pasta, Gigi Hadid Pasta and Alison Roman Caramelised Shallot pasta
Serving Suggestions
This dish is best served on its own or with a green vegetable. I like a nice Caesar salad or a Mediterranean vegetable salad. I also love adding tenderstem broccoli on the side or sometimes in the dish.
Leftover Storage and Reheat Instructions
This recipe is best enjoyed immediately as the balance of pasta water/thickness of the sauce changes after refrigerating and reheating. You also don’t want to accidentally scramble the eggs.
If you think you’ll have leftovers and have no choice but to reheat, reserve some pasta water and reheat on a low heat with a splash of pasta water, adding as necessary until your chorizo spaghetti is hot enough to eat.
Can I freeze this recipe?
I do not recommend freezing any carbonara recipes. The sauce becomes gloppy and does not reheat well. As stated above, this dish is best served and eaten immediately after making
FAQs
Absolutely! Instead of pricier options like pancetta, guanciale, or bacon, using chorizo sausage can keep the price down while not sacrificing deep, savory flavor.
What should not be added to carbonara?
If you are making a traditional carbonara, you should not add heavy cream or any cheese.
Carbonara uses egg yolk to make the sauce nice and creamy.
A broken carbonara refers to when the eggs get scrambled and chunky instead of creating a nicely blended, luxurious sauce.
This recipe is best enjoyed immediately.
You could make this into a mushroom carbonara recipe by browning some chestnut mushrooms in place of the chorizo and using vegetarian parmesan instead of regular.
This recipe is higher in calories, carbs, and fats than a lot of my recipes, but as I always say, it’s all about balance and having a carbonara once a week or every now and again, nothing bad will happen. It’s the perfect treat meal that wows the crowd with minimal effort.
You can also pair it with greens such as tenderstem broccoli, wilted spinach or a side salad which will add some nutrients and brightness to the meal.
If you tried this Chorizo Carbonara recipe, it would be mean so much to me if you could leave a review & a star rating to let me know how you found it! I love hearing about your experiences – it motivates me to keep creating more and more recipes for you guys 💛 Let’s get cooking! – Mimi x
Fast Chorizo Carbonara (only 5 Ingredients!)
Ingredients
- 160 g (from 225g pack) chorizo, sliced into small cubes (£2.50)
- 300 g spaghetti (£0.28)
- 2 garlic cloves, minced (£0.39)
- 3 egg yolks + 1 whole egg (£1.50/2)=(£0.75)
- 80 g parmesan, grated (£2.50/2)=(£1.25)
Cupboard Essentials
- 1 tsp olive oil
- Salt Pepper
Method
- Start by adding the chorizo cubes into a large/deep frying pan on a low heat with the olive oil. Gently fry on a low heat to render the delicious fat out of the chorizo. Fry on low for around 8 minutes and add the minced garlic for the last 2 minutes of fry time.
- Meanwhile, add your spaghetti into heavily salted boiling water, timer set to 2 minutes minus the packet time.
- In a bowl, combine 3 egg yolks, 1 whole egg and the parmesan. Season generously with pepper and a pinch of salt. Whisk to combine.
- Add a ladle of pasta water into the egg/parm mix and whisk to temper the eggs.
- Reserving the pasta water, add the undercooked spaghetti into the pan with the chorizo for one minute. Stir to coat the spaghetti in the chorizo oil, cooking for one minute before turning off the heat.
- Now that the heat is off and the pan is less hot, add the egg/cheese mix into the spaghetti whilst continuously stirring. We don’t want the pan to be too hot here as it will scramble the eggs. Add pasta water when necessary to loosen the sauce.
- Serve immediately with an extra sprinkle of parmesan, black pepper, salt and some optional chilli flakes.
Notes
- Use low heat to render fat from chorizo to maximise oil releasing from the chorizo which provides extra coating and flavour to the spaghetti.
- Ensure the pasta water is heavily salted to season each ingredient individually.
- Avoid adding the slurry of parm/egg/pasta water to a hot pan to prevent scrambling the eggs; mix off the heat and temper the mixture with pasta water before combining.
Nutrition
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