This easy chorizo and prawn pasta is the ultimate quick 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!
With a preparation time of just 25 minutes, this easy prawn chorizo pasta is a go-to dish on our weekly meal plan.
This recipe is adaptable, making it perfect for those who want to experiment with different ingredients or use up leftover ingredients in their fridge. It's so easy to customise it to your personal tastes.
So, if you're looking for a quick and easy meal that's packed with flavour and adaptable to any occasion, give this Spanish-inspired pasta recipe a try!
👩🍳 Love chorizo? Try my smoky chorizo bolognese recipe too!
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✔️ Why you'll love this recipe!
- Quick and easy: This prawn and chorizo pasta recipe is incredibly quick and easy to make, making it the perfect go-to recipe for busy weeknights when you don't have a lot of time to spend in the kitchen.
- Flavourful and tasty: With juicy prawns, smoky chorizo, and a creamy tomato sauce, this pasta dish is bursting with flavour.
- Perfect for busy weeknights: Since this recipe is so quick and easy to make, it's the perfect option for busy weeknights when you want to get a delicious meal on the table without a lot of fuss.
- Easily customisable: It's easily adaptable, meaning you can swap out ingredients or add in your favourite veggies to make it your own.
- Crowd-pleaser: With its delicious flavour and ease of preparation, this prawn and chorizo pasta recipe is the perfect option for entertaining guests or feeding a hungry family.
🛒 Ingredients
King Prawns - Cooked king prawns are added at the end of cooking to keep them juicy and tender. If you prefer to use raw prawns cook them in oil until they have turned pink.
Chorizo - Sliced into small rounds and dry fried to release its oils, it gives the pasta a delicious smoky flavour.
Red Onion - Sliced thinly and added to the pasta sauce.
Garlic Cloves - Two cloves are used, but you can add another one if you're a garlic lover.
Pasta - Short pasta shapes like rigatoni or penne work best, but you can also use spaghetti or linguine.
Passata - This is used to make the base of the creamy tomato sauce for the pasta. You can also use tinned chopped tomatoes for a chunkier sauce.
Creme Fraiche - Adds a creaminess to the sauce. You can also use sour cream. Double cream is a little heavy in this dish.
Parmesan - Finely grated and added to the pasta for a salty, savoury flavour. You can also use crumbled blue cheese.
Oregano - Fresh or dried oregano is used to add flavour to the sauce. Substitute it for thyme if you prefer.
Smoked Paprika - Adds a smoky flavour to the pasta sauce. Use hot paprika if you like your food spicy.
Parsley - Sprinkled on at the end of cooking for a vibrant colour boost.
Lemon - A squeeze of lemon juice helps lift the sauce and pairs well with the prawns.
Sugar - White caster sugar balances the acidity of the tomatoes in the sauce.
Salt and Pepper - Used for seasoning the dish.
🔪 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
One: Cook the pasta according to instructions (reserving one cup of pasta water), drain and set aside. Meanwhile, dry fry the chorizo in a shallow casserole or frying pan until it starts to release its oils.
Two: Add the sliced red onion and garlic and cook for 3 minutes on a medium heat.
Three: Stir in the oregano and smoked paprika.
Four: Add the passata, creme fraiche, salt, pepper, and sugar. Simmer for 8 minutes on a low heat.
Five: Mix through the cooked king prawns, parmesan, and squeeze of lemon juice. Warm through for 2 minutes.
Six: 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 before draining the pasta. This starchy water can be added to the sauce at the end to create a silky-smooth consistency.
- Cook the pasta according to the package instructions, but make sure to leave it al dente. This will prevent it from becoming mushy when mixed with the sauce.
- If you don't have access to fresh herbs, you can use dried herbs instead. However, keep in mind that dried herbs are more potent than fresh, so use them sparingly.
- To ensure your prawns stay juicy and tender, only add them to the sauce for the last few minutes of cooking. Overcooked prawns can become rubbery and tough.
🍴 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
- Veggies: To up the vegetable content, you can add in a handful of baby spinach or some frozen peas or sweetcorn. Simply add them in at the same time as the prawns and they will quickly cook/wilt in the heat of the sauce.
- Spicier Sauce: If you prefer a bit of heat, you can add a teaspoon of chilli flakes at the same time as the smoked paprika and oregano. This will give the sauce a nice kick.
- Bacon or Pancetta: If you don't have chorizo or prefer a different meat, you can swap it out for some smoked bacon or pancetta. Cut it into small pieces and cook it in the pan until crispy before adding in the onion and garlic.
- Chickpeas: For an extra portion of protein, you can add in a tin of drained chickpeas. This will give the dish a nice texture and make it more filling.
- Greek Yogurt: For a healthier alternative to creme fraiche, you can swap it for Greek yogurt. This will give the sauce a tangy flavour and cut down on the calories.
- Sun-Dried Tomatoes: You can add some chopped sun-dried tomatoes to the sauce for an extra burst of umami flavour.
🥡 Storage
Store - If you have leftover pasta, store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. Make sure the pasta has cooled down before placing it in the fridge.
Reheat - To reheat the pasta, transfer it to a pan with a splash of water. Heat it on medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until it's heated through. Alternatively, you can reheat it in the microwave in a microwave-safe dish.
❓ 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.
Yes, but you'll need to cook them in the pan with the chorizo and other ingredients until they turn pink and cooked through.
While it's best to serve the pasta immediately after cooking, you can make the sauce in advance and store it in the fridge for up to 2 days. When you're ready to serve, simply reheat the sauce and cook the pasta.
😋 More pasta recipes to try!
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Recipe
Easy 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.250 g Pasta
- Whilst the pasta is cooking dry fry the chorizo in a shallow casserole or frying pan until it starts to release its oils.150 g Chorizo
- Add the sliced red onion and garlic and cook for 3 minutes on a medium heat.1 Red Onion, 2 Garlic Cloves
- Stir in the oregano and smoked paprika.2 teaspoon Smoked Paprika, 1 teaspoon Oregano
- Add the passata, creme fraiche, salt, pepper, and sugar. Simmer for 8 minutes on a low heat.300 ml Passata, 100 ml Creme Fraiche, 1 teaspoon Sugar, ½ teaspoon Salt, ¼ teaspoon Pepper
- Mix through the cooked king prawns, parmesan, and squeeze of lemon juice. Warm through for 2 minutes.350 g Cooked King Prawns, 50 g Parmesan, ½ Lemon
- 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.2 tablespoon Parsley
Video
Notes
- Reserve a cup of the pasta cooking water before draining the pasta. This starchy water can be added to the sauce at the end to create a silky smooth consistency.
- Cook the pasta according to the package instructions, but make sure to leave it al dente. This will prevent it from becoming mushy when mixed with the sauce.
- If you don't have access to fresh herbs, you can use dried herbs instead. However, keep in mind that dried herbs are more potent than fresh, so use them sparingly.
- To ensure your prawns stay juicy and tender, only add them to the sauce for the last few minutes of cooking. Overcooked prawns can become rubbery and tough.
- Veggies: To up the vegetable content, you can add in a handful of baby spinach or some frozen peas or sweetcorn. Simply add them in at the same time as the prawns and they will quickly cook/wilt in the heat of the sauce.
- Spicier Sauce: If you prefer a bit of heat, you can add a teaspoon of chilli flakes at the same time as the smoked paprika and oregano. This will give the sauce a nice kick.
- Bacon or Pancetta: If you don't have chorizo or prefer a different meat, you can swap it out for some smoked bacon or pancetta. Cut it into small pieces and cook it in the pan until crispy before adding in the onion and garlic.
- Chickpeas: For an extra portion of protein, you can add in a tin of drained chickpeas. This will give the dish a nice texture and make it more filling.
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.
Lisa
Delish 😋 quick and easy recipe for a lazy Saturday evening. we added lazy chilli instead of smoked paprika (not a big fan) and added cream instead of Creme Fraiche. We also used linguine pasta and it was delicious!!