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!
Jump to:
✔️ 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.
Don't forget to subscribe to the newsletter to stay up to date with what's cooking in the Effortless Foodie kitchen! You can also follow me on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram too!
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!!!