Ultimate Prawn and Chorizo Pasta
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Whenever I’m craving a simple, comforting weeknight meal, I whip up this prawn and chorizo pasta. It’s made with a delicious, aglio e olio inspired sauce (parsley, lemon &ย garlic), quick-cooking prawns and of course, the pasta shape that’s always superior with seafood- this had to be a prawn and chorizo linguine dish.
Table of Contents
Why youโll love this recipe
Vibrant Comfort Food โ This prawn and chorizo pasta is the definition of comfort food with a silky, light sauce that comes together because of reserved pasta water.
Quick Weeknight Dinner โ This chorizo and prawn pasta is ready in about 15 minutes, so itโs great for busy work days.
Incredible Flavor โ Spicy, crispy chorizo, fresh lemon juice, chopped garlic, and smoked paprika come together to create the ultimate summer pasta dish. (I enjoy it in the winter too to pretend it’s summer)
Love pasta? Try these tasty recipes; Boursin Cheese Baked Pasta, Tagliatelle Carbonara and Chicken and Broccoli Pasta
Ingredients
King Prawns
I recommend using king prawns for this prawn and chorizo pasta. You can also use tiger prawns if you wish. You may need to adjust the cook time slightly. If you love prawns, try my garlic prawns.
Chorizo
You can use either raw or cooked chorizo for this chorizo pasta easy prawn dish. Both options will provide crispy chorizo bits. The only differences are the cook time and the size of the chorizo pieces. I also opt for spicy chorizo to add another layer of flavour.
Pasta
You can get creative here and use your pasta of choice. I like to go down the classic route and use linguine or spaghetti; they taste great with the sauce, prawns, and chorizo.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Variations/ Adaptations
Here are some easy adaptations for your prawn and chorizo pasta!
Mix up the pasta shape- I love to use linguine for this prawn chorizo pasta but you can also use a shorter shaped pasta like penne, shells or farfalle.
Type of prawns– for this recipe, I opted for frozen king prawns for the extravagant feel. These are more expensive though than smaller cooked prawns/tiny shrimp. Feel free to switch to them if you want to reduce the cost of this easy prawn pasta.
Adapt to dietary restrictions or preferences- If you are gluten-free, the only ingredient in this dish that contains gluten is the linguine, so simply sub with your favourite GF pasta. To make this recipe low-fat, I would recommend substituting the chorizo with lean bacon lardons and reducing the olive oil quantity by half.
Love chorizo? You’ll love these recipes: Chicken and Chorizo Risotto, Chicken and Chorizo Pasta and Chicken and Chorizo Paella.
How to make prawn and chorizo pasta
- Start by slicing the chorizo into circles, then quarters (Image 1).
- Then add chorizo to a large pan over a low heat with 1 tbsp of the extra virgin olive oil (Image 2).
3. Gently fry, allowing the fat to render from the chorizo slowly. Fry for around 8 minutes, until the seasoned fat is rendered and the chorizo is crispy (Image 3).
4. Meanwhile, add your pasta to heavily salted (salty like the sea) boiling water. Set your timer to the packet time minus one minute (Image 4).
Once the chorizo is crispy, remove โ from the pan to use as a garnish.
5. Add the sliced garlic and smoked paprika to the pan and stir together (Image 5).
6. Then add the uncooked prawns and chilli flakes and gently fry over a medium heat for 2 minutes (Image 6).
7. After around 2 minutes the paprika, king prawns and garlic will have cooked and bloomed together. Transfer two ladles of pasta water into the pan with the chorizo and prawns and stir vigorously (Image 7).
8. Once your pasta timer goes off, reserve a generous amount of pasta water and transfer the pasta into the pan with the chorizo/prawns. Also add the parsley, 2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice at this stage (Image 8).
9. Stir everything together to ensure the prawns, chorizo, garlic and parsley are fully incorporated (Image 9).
10. Serve with the reserved crispy chorizo, an optional extra lemon wedge, a sprinkle of parsley and extra chilli flakes if you like things spicy (Image 10).
To make the meal more substantial, try serving one of my soup recipes as a starter ; Creamy Parsnip Soup, Green Chili Chicken Soup and Easy Carrot and Coriander Soup
Tips for the best results
- Cook the chorizo over a slow heat to allow the fat to render.
- Donโt drain the oil from the chorizo
As the chorizo cooks, some of the fat will cook out into the pan. Don’t drain this oil; it helps create even more flavour in the sauce.
- Avoid cooking the prawns for too long
Overcooked prawns are chewy and rubbery, so it’s essential to cook them for the right amount of time when making this chorizo prawn pasta recipe. Theyโre ready when they have just turned pink. - Season the pasta water generously with salt.
Need something sweet to finish your meal? Try my: Soft Flapjack Recipe, Mini Egg Cheesecake and Rocky Road
Serving Suggestions
This prawn and chorizo pasta is delicious as a standalone dish but if you want to increase the spread, here are some pairings I would go for.
Veggie side dishes:
– Tenderstem broccoli
– Cavolo nero with garlic and lemon
– Easy airfryer frozen green beans
– Sauteed Broccoli (in 10 minutes!)
Double carbs (always a good time)
– crusty bread or garlic bread
– parmentier potatoes
– crostini recipes
Protein pairings
– Spanish chicken
– Perfect Pan-Fried Cod
– Creamy Smoked Haddock Recipe
Storage and Reheat Instructions
Refridgerator instructions
If you have any leftover prawn and chorizo pasta, pack it into an airtight container once it cools. Then, store it in the fridge. It should last for 3-4 days in the refrigerator. Simply microwave the leftovers to heat them up.
Do not freeze
This prawn and chorizo linguine recipe is best eaten fresh. So, I don’t recommend freezing leftovers, especially as prawns can become rubbery when reheated from frozen. It takes only 15 minutes to whip up so I think it’s worth just making enough to enjoy at once!
Here’s some advice on reheating some other recipes using an air fryer; The Best Way to Reheat Chicken Wings in the Airfryer, The Best Way To Reheat Salmon and The Best Way to Reheat Baked Ziti
FAQs
My recipe is butter-less- so no, you can use extra virgin olive oil instead.
This is a fairly healthy dish already. However, you can add some veg if you want additional nutrients. Try mixing in spinach or baby kale. You can also swap out the pasta for veggie noodles to cut down on carbs.
Yes! Linguine for this prawn and chorizo pasta dish is perfect- but it really does work well with most pasta shapes. She’s versatile!
You can opt for mild chorizo if you don’t enjoy spicy recipes. It will still have a hint of heat, but it shouldn’t be overwhelming if you’re sensitive to it.
If you tried this Prawn and Chorizo Pasta, 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 ๐ Let’s get cooking! – Mimi x
Ultimate Prawn and Chorizo Pasta
Ingredients
- 110 g chorizo, sliced into small chunks (ยฃ2.50/2)=(ยฃ1.25)
- 400 g linguine (ยฃ0.75)
- 30 g fresh parsley, finely chopped (ยฃ0.60)
- 5-6 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced (ยฃ0.39)
- 200 g king prawns, uncooked & peeled (ยฃ3.70)
- Juice of ยฝ to 1 lemon, according to taste (ยฃ0.30)
Cupboard Essentials
- 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- Salt & Pepper
- Optional chilli flakes
Method
- Start by adding the chorizo to a large pan over a low heat with 1 tbsp of the extra virgin olive oil. Gently fry, allowing the fat to render from the chorizo slowly. Fry for around 8 minutes, until the seasoned fat is rendered and the chorizo is crispy.
- Meanwhile, add your liguine to heavily salted (salty like the sea) boiling water. Set your timer to the packet time minus one minute.
- Once the chorizo is crispy, remove โ from the pan to use as a garnish. Add the garlic, smoked paprika, uncooked prawns and chilli flakes into the pan and gently fry over a medium heat for 2 minutes.
- Transfer two ladles of pasta water into the pan with the chorizo and stir vigorously. Once your pasta timer goes off, reserve a generous amount of pasta water and transfer the pasta into the pan with the chorizo. Also add the parsley, 2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice at this stage. Stir to get everything incorporated.
- Serve with the reserved crispy chorizo, an optional extra lemon wedge, a sprinkle of parsley and extra chilli flakes if you like things spicy.
Notes
- Gently fry the chorizo over a low/medium heat to allow the fat to render.ย
- Utilise the fat released from cooking chorizo to enhance the sauce’s flavour profile, avoiding draining it from the pan.
- Ensure prawns are cooked just until they turn pink to avoid a chewy texture, ย when overcooked.
Nutrition
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