Ingredients
- 300 g (10½ oz) short pasta (mafalde pictured, but you could use penne, macaroni or rigatoni)
- 200 g (7 oz) chorizo (about 2 chorizo sausages), roughly diced
- 1 onion, finely diced
- 1 tsp freshly minced garlic
- 1 tbsp tomato paste (concentrated puree)
- ½ cup (75 g) sundried tomatoes, finely chopped (optional)
- 1½ cups (375 ml) thickened (heavy) cream
- 1 cup (100 g) freshly grated parmesan, plus extra to serve
- Salt, to taste
- Cracked black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to the packet instructions, less 1–2 minutes (the pasta will finish cooking in the sauce). Reserve ½ cup (125 ml) of the pasta cooking water. Drain the pasta, rinse under cool running water and set aside.
- Meanwhile, heat a large, deep, heavy-based frying pan over medium–high heat. Cook the chorizo for 3–4 minutes until crispy and golden – you don’t need to add oil as the chorizo will release its own flavoursome oil.
- Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring, for 1–2 minutes until softened.
- Stir through the tomato paste and sundried tomatoes (if using) for 1 minute.
- Add the cream, bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 2–3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has slightly thickened.
- Stir through the parmesan, then season to taste with salt and pepper (I find I only need a very small amount of salt – about 1/4 teaspoon – as the chorizo and parmesan are already very salty).
- Add the cooked pasta and the reserved pasta water. Toss the pasta through the sauce for 1–2 minutes to finish cooking.
- Sprinkle with extra parmesan and serve.
Notes
MAKE AHEAD
Creamy Chorizo Pasta is the perfect recipe to make ahead, ready for when you need it! Refrigerate for up to 3 days in an airtight container or freeze for up to 2 months. For best results (and to avoid mushy pasta!) ensure you thaw the pasta in the fridge overnight prior to reheating. Creamy pastas do separate once refrigerated or frozen, which means the texture of the sauce will be less creamy and more oil-based, but it will still be equally delicious!
LEFTOVERS
Creamy Chorizo Pasta can be enjoyed as leftovers the next day. See the make-ahead instructions above for how to store your leftovers.
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 15 mins
- Category: Main dish
- Method: pan
- Cuisine: Italian