Creamy chicken and chorizo pasta is the kind of treat that can make any day better. Loaded with crispy bits of chorizo and chicken and smothered in a velvety, super flavourful tomato and cream sauce, this easy chorizo pasta only takes 30 minutes to make!
There’s nothing quite like cozying up with a bowl of comforting creamy pasta at the end of a long day. This creamy chicken and chorizo pasta is the perfect candidate for that scenario.
Since it’s ready in just 30 minutes, this chorizo and chicken pasta will quickly become a family favourite. It features crispy chunks of delicious chorizo, bits of chicken and the creamiest sauce I know how to make.
This creamy chorizo pasta is the very definition of an easy recipe that feels like a treat!
The sauce is super easy to make in a single pan, and you don’t even have to faff about with cooking the chicken separately and removing it from the pan before continuing with the recipe.
It all goes in in the same pan, and everything will still be perfectly cooked.
What do you need to make this chicken and chorizo recipe?
Pasta — Rigatoni is a great choice for this type of sauce, but you can use another type of short pasta if you want. Fusilli and penne are both great choices.
This is not a suitable candidate for long pasta because you need something chunky to hold up to the bits of chicken and chorizo.
Chorizo — Some good quality chorizo is important for this pasta, so use the best you can. You can choose between regular and spicy chorizo.
If you go for the spicy version, you may want to skip the red chilli flakes in the sauce unless you like it really fiery.
Chicken breast — Since you don’t cook the chicken separately, it’s important to cut it into bite-sized pieces. That’s to make sure the chicken is cooked through quickly.
Red onion — Make sure you dice the red onion as finely as you can. That’s because it will only be cooking for a couple of minutes.
Red pepper — You can use bell peppers or pointed red peppers here. Other colors are also fine, with green being an excellent choice.
Herbs — I find oregano and marjoram to be the perfect mix for this recipe, but the possibilities are truly endless here. You can skip the marjoram if you don’t have it or use thyme instead.
For a bold Spanish flavour, add a teaspoon of smoked paprika too. I’ve also made this chorizo chicken pasta with just a teaspoon of Italian seasoning mix, and it was equally delicious.
Double (heavy) cream — Double cream is the ingredient that makes this chorizo pasta sauce extra creamy.
If you want to cut down the calories a bit, you can use single cream (half and half) instead, but the sauce won’t be as creamy. If you do that, you may also need to simmer the sauce for a couple of extra minutes, so it thickens more.
How do you make creamy chicken and chorizo pasta?
- Bring a pot of water to boil, salt it generously and cook the pasta according to the instructions on the package. Reserve a cup of water before draining.
- Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large, deep pan and fry the chorizo for 1-2 minutes over medium-high heat until slightly crispy.
- Add the diced chicken breast to the pan and continue to cook for 4-5 minutes until the chicken is mostly cooked through.
- Next, add the red onion and red pepper to the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes until softened.
- Stir in the garlic, oregano, marjoram, chilli flakes and tomato paste.
- Add the chicken stock and allow the sauce to get bubbling.
- Lower the heat and stir in the double cream. Allow it to bubble again for 1-2 minutes, then turn off the heat.
- Transfer the cooked pasta to the pan and toss it well.
- Stir in the fresh basil, parsley and grated Parmesan.
- Season to taste and serve immediately, with extra grated Parmesan on top if you like.
Recipe notes and tips
- You can add some baby spinach to the sauce right before adding the cooked pasta to the pan.
- If you think that the chorizo has left too much oil after you cook it, feel free to remove some of it from the pan. Don’t overdo it, though, because you need oil to cook the rest of the ingredients in.
- Leftovers can be heated in the microwave the next day, but the pasta is really better when it’s freshly made.
- If you want to enjoy a glass of wine with this chorizo and chicken pasta, a Rioja or a Zinfandel are two great choices.
Creamy Chicken and Chorizo Pasta
Ingredients
- ▢300 g (10.5 oz) rigatoni , (or another type of short pasta)
- ▢1 tablespoon olive oil
- ▢170 g (6 oz) chorizo, sliced
- ▢350 g (12 oz) chicken breast, diced
- ▢1 small red onion, finely diced
- ▢1 small red pepper, diced
- ▢3 garlic cloves, minced
- ▢½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ▢½ teaspoon dried marjoram
- ▢¼ teaspoon red chilli flakes
- ▢1 tablespoon tomato paste
- ▢200 ml (1 cup) chicken stock
- ▢200 ml (1 cup) double cream
- ▢6 leaves fresh basil, roughly torn
- ▢1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
- ▢30 g (⅓ cup) grated Parmesan
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Instructions
Stir in the fresh basil, parsley and grated Parmesan. Season to taste and serve immediately, with extra grated Parmesan on top if you like.
Bring a pot of water to boil, salt it generously and cook the pasta according to the instructions on the package. Reserve a cup of water before draining.300 g rigatoni
Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large, deep pan and fry the chorizo for 1-2 minutes over medium-high heat until slightly crispy.1 tablespoon olive oil170 g chorizo
Add the diced chicken breast to the pan and continue to cook for 4-5 minutes until the chicken is mostly cooked through.350 g chicken breast
Next, add the red onion and red pepper to the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes until softened. Stir in the garlic, oregano, marjoram, chilli flakes and tomato paste. Add the chicken stock and allow the sauce to get bubbling.1 small red onion1 small red pepper3 garlic cloves½ teaspoon dried oregano½ teaspoon dried marjoram¼ teaspoon red chilli flakes1 tablespoon tomato paste200 ml chicken stock
Lower the heat and stir in the double cream. Allow it to bubble again for 1-2 minutes, then turn off the heat.200 ml double cream
Transfer the cooked pasta to the pan and toss it well. Add a splash of the reserved pasta water if it looks too dry.6 leaves fresh basil1 tablespoon fresh parsley30 g grated Parmesan