This creamy chorizo and prawn pasta is the ultimate quick and easy pasta recipe for busy weeknights!
Juicy king prawns combine with smoky chorizo sausage and rigatoni pasta in a deliciously creamy tomato sauce. Packed full of flavour, it's a real crowd pleaser!
Ready in just 25 minutes, this Spanish-inspired pasta recipe is a regular feature on our weekly meal plan!
It's easy to adapt, and also a great recipe for using up odds and ends in your fridge.
👩🍳 Love chorizo? Try my smoky chorizo bolognese recipe too!
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✔️ Why you'll love this recipe!
- Quick and easy pasta recipe
- Flavourful and tasty
- Perfect for busy weeknights
- Easily customisable
🛒 Ingredients
- King Prawns - cooked king prawns are added at the end of cooking.
- Chorizo - sliced into small rounds and dry fried to release its oils, it gives the pasta a delcious smoky flavour.
- Red Onion - sliced thinly.
- Garlic Cloves - 2 cloves, but add another in if you like garlic!
- Pasta - I prefer using short pasta shapes like rigatoni or penne, but spaghetti would also work well.
- Passata - or swap for tinned chopped tomatoes for a chunkier sauce.
- Creme Fraiche - adds the creamy element to the sauce. You could also use sour cream.
- Parmesan - finely grated, or swap for crumbled blue cheese for a more grown up taste.
- Oregano - fresh or dried is fine. Substitute for thyme if you prefer.
- Smoked Paprika - adds a smoky depth to the sauce.
- Parsley - sprinkled on at the end of cooking for a vibrant colour boost.
- Lemon - a squeeze of lemon juice helps lift the sauce and partners well with the prawns.
- Sugar - balances the acidity of the tomatoes.
- Salt and Pepper
🔪 How to make creamy chorizo and prawn pasta
The recipe card with ingredient quantities and detailed instructions can be found at the bottom of the post
Step 1: Dry fry the chorizo in a shallow casserole or frying pan until it starts to release its oils.
Step 2: Add the sliced red onion and garlic and cook for 3 minutes on a medium heat.
Step 3: Stir in the oregano and smoked paprika.
Step 4: Add the passata, creme fraiche, salt, pepper, and sugar. Simmer for 8 minutes on a low heat.
Step 5: Mix through the cooked king prawns, parmesan, and squeeze of lemon juice. Warm through for 2 minutes.
Step 6: Stir in the cooked pasta and a little reserved cooking water to make a silky smooth sauce. Garnish with parsley and serve with more grated Parmesan.
💭 Top tips
- Reserve a cup of the pasta cooking water and add a little bit at the end of cooking to create a silky smooth pasta sauce.
- If you have a bottle of white wine open, add a splash just before you stir in the oregano and smoked paprika.
🍴 Serving suggestions
The chorizo and prawn pasta is delicious on its own, or for something more substantial serve it with homemade focaccia and a simple green salad!
You might also like to try my chorizo mac and cheese recipe too!
📖 Variations
- Up the veggies and add in a handful of baby spinach at the same time as the prawns. The spinach will quickly wilt in the heat of the sauce. Frozen peas or sweetcorn could also be added.
- Add a teaspoon of chilli flakes at the same time as the smoked paprika and oregano for a spicier sauce.
- Swap the chorizo for smoked bacon or pancetta.
- Increase the protein and add a tin of drained chickpeas.
🥡 Storage
- To Store. Place leftovers in an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- To Reheat. Microwave until piping hot.
❓ FAQs
This chorizo and prawn pasta is best eaten fresh, but it can be frozen for up to 3 months in a freezer-safe container. Defrost in the fridge before reheating in the microwave until piping hot.
😋 More pasta recipes to try!
Tried this recipe? Leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ star rating in the comments!
Recipe
Creamy Chorizo and Prawn Pasta
Ingredients
- 250 g Pasta rigatoni or penne
- 150 g Chorizo sliced
- 1 Red Onion peeled and thinly sliced
- 2 Garlic Cloves peeled and finely chopped
- 2 teaspoon Smoked Paprika
- 1 teaspoon Oregano
- 300 ml Passata
- 100 ml Creme Fraiche
- 1 teaspoon Sugar
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ¼ teaspoon Pepper
- 350 g Cooked King Prawns
- 50 g Parmesan grated
- ½ Lemon juice
- 2 tablespoon Parsley chopped
Instructions
- Bring a pan of salted water to the boil and cook the pasta according to instructions. Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of pasta cooking water.
- Whilst the pasta is cooking dry fry the chorizo in a shallow casserole or frying pan until it starts to release its oils.
- Add the sliced red onion and garlic and cook for 3 minutes on a medium heat.
- Stir in the oregano and smoked paprika.
- Add the passata, creme fraiche, salt, pepper, and sugar. Simmer for 8 minutes on a low heat.
- Mix through the cooked king prawns, parmesan, and squeeze of lemon juice. Warm through for 2 minutes.
- Stir in the cooked pasta and a little reserved cooking water to make a silky smooth sauce. Garnish with parsley and serve with more grated Parmesan.
Video
Notes
- Reserve a cup of the pasta cooking water and add a little bit at the end of cooking to create a silky smooth pasta sauce.
- If you have a bottle of white wine open, add a splash just before you stir in the oregano and smoked paprika.
- Up the veggies and add in a handful of baby spinach at the same time as the prawns. The spinach will quickly wilt in the heat of the sauce. Frozen peas or sweetcorn could also be added.
- Add a teaspoon of chilli flakes at the same time as the smoked paprika and oregano for a spicier sauce.
- Swap the chorizo for smoked bacon or pancetta.
- Increase the protein and add a tin of drained chickpeas.
- To Store. Place leftovers in an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- To Reheat. Microwave until piping hot.
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Gina
Something so delicious about creamy sauces and chorizo! Lovely pasta dish everyone will like!
Shashi
Wow - what an amazing array of flavors! Simply mouthwatering - one recipe that makes me wish I wasn't vegetarian!
Dannii
This is one of our favourite quick and easy meals. The chorizo has so much flavour.
Jyoti Behrani
This looks incredible! I was looking exactly for something easy yet fun to prepare with pasta and chorizo. Thanks for sharing!
Jessica Stroup
This is the perfect recipe for a football party we're hosting this weekend! I can't wait!!!
Laura
Hi I can I use single cream indeed of crème fraciche
Beth Sachs
Hi Laura. The sauce will be a little runnier, but it will still taste great. You might want to add a little lemon juice to counter the richness of the cream.