Easy Chorizo and Pepper Pasta

An easy and tasty chorizo and pepper pasta recipe, made in just 30 minutes. Perfect for busy weeknights when time is of the essence.

It’s always good to have speedy pasta recipes up your sleeve for busy weeknights. This tasty chorizo pasta with sweet red peppers is one of those recipes! A mark of its success is just how often it’s requested in this house!

Jump to:

• ✔️ Why should you try it?
• 🥘 Ingredients
• 🔪 Instructions
• 💭 Top tips
• 🍴 Serving suggestions
• 📖 Variations
• 🥡 Storage
• ❓ FAQS
• 😋Related recipes
• Recipe

✔️ Why should you try it?

• Quick and easy to make
• Family friendly
• Leftovers are great for lunch the next day
• A filling meal for growing kids

🥘 Ingredients

Pasta – I’ve used penne, but other pasta shapes, such as rigatoni or fusilli could also be used.

Red Onion – gives the dish a lovely sweetness.

Garlic – adds flavour to the pasta.

Chorizo – I love how chorizo adds a smokiness to dishes.

Peppers – red and yellow bell peppers were used in this recipe.

Passata – my kids prefer sauces smooth, but if you prefer, you could use a tin of chopped tomatoes instead.

Tomato Puree – adds a depth of flavour.

Smoked Paprika – enhances the paprika flavour of the chorizo.

Dried Italian Herbs – for seasoning and flavour.

Sugar – helps balance the acidity of the tomatoes.

Basil – for garnishing.

Parmesan – essential on any pasta dish I say!

🔪 Instructions

One: Heat a little oil in a shallow casserole or frying pan and fry the red onion and garlic for a few minutes before adding the chorizo and peppers. Meanwhile, bring a pan of salted water to the boil and cook the pasta according to packet instructions, drain and set aside.

Two: After the chorizo mix has been cooking for 5 minutes drain off any excess fat, add the passata, tomato puree, sugar, smoked paprika, italian herbs, salt and pepper and simmer for 10 minutes.

Three: Add the drained pasta to the pan and stir to make sure the pasta is coated in the sauce.

Four: Sprinkle over the grated Parmesan and garnish with basil.

💭 Top tips

• The chorizo will release quite a lot of oil when fried, so you only need a small teaspoon of olive oil to start the onions and garlic cooking. If you find the mixture is still quite oily once the chorizo has released the oils, remove some of the oil with a spoon before you add the passata.
• Cook the pasta to al dente as it will continue to cook in the tomato pasta sauce. You don’t want to end up with mushy pasta.
• Reserve a little pasta cooking water to add to the sauce if you need to.

🍴 Serving suggestions

We usually enjoy the smoky chorizo and pepper pasta just as it is, but if you wanted to make the meal more substantial you could serve a green salad and some garlic bread alongside it.

📖 Variations

This is a great base recipe for adding extra vegetables or cooked meats. A tin of sweetcorn or chickpeas would help bulk the pasta out to feed more people.

Wholemeal pasta could be used instead of white pasta to increase the fibre content of the dish.

Leftover cooked chicken or cooked prawns could be added to the dish at the end of cooking.

A jar of roasted red peppers could be used instead of the fresh bell peppers.

🥡 Storage

The cooked pasta can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave for a quick and tasty lunch.

❓ FAQS

What is chorizo?

Chorizo is a Spanish cured sausage made from coarsely chopped pork and pork fat and seasoned with garlic, smoked paprika (pimenton) and salt.

Can I freeze it?

Cooked pasta doesn’t freeze that well and can become a bit chewy once defrosted. It will still taste great though so by all means freeze a portion if you need a quick and easy meal to pull out at short notice.

😋Related recipes

Some more delicious pasta recipes to try;

• Chorizo Mac and Cheese
• Creamy Bacon and Pumpkin Pasta
• One-Pan Chicken Penne Arrabbiata
• Chicken and Broccoli Pasta Bake
• Slow Cooker Macaroni Cheese
• Aubergine Tomato Pasta Sauce

If you love chorizo, also check out my oven baked chicken and chorizo risotto recipe!

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