The BEST Creamy Chorizo Pasta

Why this is the ultimate comfort meal

A decadent chorizo pasta dish with mild heat from Spanish sausage is the perfect way to satisfy your cravings for a comfort meal. This tasty meal is made with double cream and parmesan cheese, so it’s perfect for cold weather or when you’re craving a hearty meal.

This creamy chorizo pasta includes flavourful veggies, like mushrooms and kale, to pump up the nutrients of this simple pasta dish. These veggies mesh well with the powerful flavours of the chorizo cream pasta, serving as the perfect additions to this dish. 

Like many of my recipes, this pasta chorizo cream dish has multiple servings, so you can prep lunches or dinners for the week. This meal is packed with protein to help you feel satisfied and keep you from reaching for fast food or other unhealthy options. Yet, you won’t feel like you’re sacrificing flavour or decadence due to the seasoning and richness of the cream sauce.

What is chorizo?

Chorizo is a super flavourful pork sausage in Mexican and Spanish dishes. It features a bright red colour that shifts to a darker red as you cook it. This vibrant hue is from the chilli peppers or smoked paprika in the recipe (different depending on whether it’s Spanish chorizo or Mexican).

It has a smoky, tangy and slightly spicy taste that helps cut the richness of the spicy chorizo pasta cream dish. You’ll also notice that its bright red colour transfers to the sauce, making it a pretty pinkish hue when it’s ready to eat.

Where can I buy chorizo?

Chorizo is becoming a more popular food in recent years, so it’s easier to find at local supermarkets and grocery stores. Head to the cooked meats refrigerated section and you’ll likely find a pack of chorizo ready to take home.

If you can’t find chorizo in this section, you can also check the area with fresh sausages or cured meats. You’ll want to aim for Spanish chorizo for this chorizo rigatoni dish, as you can crumble it and cook it in a pan. Other Spanish varieties come cured and ready to eat in slices (like other cured sausages).

Purchasing Spanish chorizo allows you to render out some of the fat before creating chorizo pasta. That way, you can make the dish a bit lighter as you won’t need as much oil to cook with.

Ingredients

Rigatoni

Any smaller type of pasta will work for this dish!

Chorizo

Chorizo is what helps keep the dish flavourful. Make sure to aim for Spanish chorizo when at the grocery store.

Mushrooms

Like pasta, you can use most types of mushrooms with this weeknight pasta recipe. Baby bella or white button mushrooms are great options.

Fresh Thyme + Basil

Thyme and basil perfectly complement the flavours of the chorizo and help create a more complex taste in this dish. Dried thyme and basil will also suffice if you’re in a pinch.

Garlic

Aromatic and delicious, fresh garlic adds a pop of flavour to recipes.

Onion

Like garlic, onion is aromatic and adds a delightful flavour to the recipe.

Double Cream

The most decadent pasta dishes include double cream! Heavy whipping cream is another excellent option.

Lemon

I love including freshly squeezed lemon juice in creamy recipes; it helps brighten up the dish and cuts some of the heaviness from the double cream.

Tomato Puree

Using tomato puree aids in lightening up the pasta sauce and adding a tasty tanginess to the recipe.

Kale

If you don’t enjoy kale, you can use baby spinach or another similar green.

Parmesan

Fresh shaved or grated parmesan is best. However, you can also use bottled parmesan for this chorizo pasta dish.

How to make this creamy chorizo pasta

Preheat oven to 200°C

On a chopping board, start by roughly tearing apart the mince into small chunks using a fork/or your hands and then set aside.

Then finely slice the mushrooms and add half of the rapeseed oil to a large frying pan and increase the heat to high. Add the mushrooms into the hot pan. Leave to brown for 3 minutes on a high heat, then stir and leave to brown for another 3 minutes. Remove the browned mushrooms from the pan and season with salt.

Reduce the heat to low and add the onion and torn chorizo into the pan. Gently fry to render the fat from the chorizo.  After 5 minutes of frying, add the tomato puree into the pan, along with the garlic, chilli flakes (optional) and fresh thyme.  At this stage, add your rigatoni to salted boiling water, setting a timer to 2 minutes minus the packet time.

Whilst the tomato puree is gently frying away, add the kale into a baking tray and coat with the remaining rapeseed oil.  Season with salt and pepper and pop in the oven for 7 minutes.

Now that the tomato puree has darkened, add around 4 ladles of pasta water into the pan. Stir to combine and stir the cream, parmesan and lemon juice at this stage too. Pour the undercooked pasta into the pan and stir until everything is incorporated. Add pasta water as necessary and cook until the sauce is nicely thickened and the pasta is perfectly cooked. Top with fresh basil and additional parmesan.

FAQ

Is this recipe spicy?

It’s mildly spicy. Use spicy chorizo and increase the chilli flakes added if you like it hot. If you prefer no spice, omit the chilli flakes. 

How is this recipe healthier than other chorizo pasta recipes?

I’ve packed nutrient-rich veggies into this dish, so you get a boost of fibre, vitamins and minerals with every bite! I also included a note in the directions to leave the oil in the pan from the chorizo, allowing you to cut down on any other oil you would normally use in a chorizo pasta recipe.

I can’t find chorizo; what can I use instead?

If you can’t find chorizo in your local store, you can use minced pork and add similar seasonings, such as chilli powder and smoked paprika. Alternatively, other types of sausage will work, such as spicy Italian sausages. As a note, you may need to add a small amount of oil for other chorizo alternatives. This note will depend on how much oil comes out while cooking, as you want to avoid items sticking to the pan. 

Can I make this chorizo pasta dairy-free?

As there is only one source of dairy in this chorizo and tomato pasta, it’s a quick swap to make this recipe dairy-free. Use a non-dairy alternative, such as Silk heavy whipping cream, as a base for the creamy tomato sauce. All the other ingredients can remain the same.

If you want to make the recipe vegan, swap the chorizo for a soy-based version. You may find this meat-free option listed as “soy-rizo” or “soy chorizo” at the supermarket or use plant based meat-free chorizo style sausages.