Chorizo pasta is a bold, savoury dish with smoky notes and a pleasant spicy kick. Rich chorizo pairs beautifully with a bright, tangy tomato sauce that clings to chewy pasta. It’s an easy one-pan pasta recipe ready in around 30 minutes — perfect for a relaxed dinner with friends or family.
This straightforward pasta is one of the earliest recipes published here and quickly became a favourite for weeknight meals.
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Easy pasta recipes are a speciality here — try Cajun chicken pasta or slow cooker bolognese for other family-friendly meals. For a vegetarian option, the ricotta and spinach pasta is a great pick.
⭐️ Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- The smoky, spicy character of chorizo gives this pasta depth and satisfying flavour.
- It’s versatile — you can add extra vegetables or ingredients from the fridge to make it your own.
- Quick to prepare in about 30 minutes, it’s a comforting weeknight dinner that’s easy to pull together.
Spanish chorizo vs Mexican chorizo
Chorizo comes in different regional styles. The two main varieties are Spanish and Mexican, which behave differently in recipes.
- Spanish chorizo – a cured, often sliced sausage made with pork, garlic and smoked paprika. It’s firm, intensely flavored, and can be eaten as is or cooked.
- Mexican chorizo – a fresh, unripened sausage made from ground pork and chile spices. It’s soft and must be cooked before eating; it renders more fat while cooking, so drain excess fat before proceeding.
Either variety works in this dish; adjust handling (draining fat, cooking time) depending on which you use.
🧾 Ingredients
- Chorizo – spicy pork sausage (casing removed), the star ingredient for smoky, savoury flavour.
- Pasta – short or tube shapes like rigatoni or penne work best to hold the sauce.
- Tomatoes – tinned crushed tomatoes or passata for a smooth, bright sauce.
- Onion and garlic – build flavour and aroma.
- Olive oil – for cooking and added fruity depth.
- Herbs – dried oregano during cooking and fresh basil or parsley at the end for brightness.
- Optional – bell peppers, mushrooms, olives, capers or a splash of white wine for variation.
See the recipe card below for exact quantities.
🧂 Seasoning a recipe
Salt and seasoning are personal, so start small and adjust to taste. A few general tips:
- Add seasoning gradually and taste as you go. If the dish becomes too salty, a squeeze of lemon can help balance it.
- Aim for balance — a mix of sweet, sour, salty and bitter elements makes a satisfying dish.
- Consider ingredient strength — very bold ingredients need less extra seasoning.
- Cooking method matters — roasting concentrates flavours and may require less seasoning than moist methods.
👩🏻🍳 Step By Step
1 & 2
- Remove chorizo casing and dice or break into chunks.
- Heat oil in a high-sided skillet. Brown the chorizo until golden and the fat has rendered. Transfer chorizo to a bowl, reserving about 1 tablespoon of the fat in the pan.
3 & 4
- Add diced onion to the reserved fat and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook a further 1–2 minutes.
- Stir in dried oregano and tomato purée; cook briefly to remove the raw tomato taste.
5 & 6
- Pour in passata and simmer for about 5 minutes.
- Add boiling water, return the chorizo to the pan, then stir in the pasta. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for 12–15 minutes until the pasta is al dente and the sauce has thickened.
Making chorizo pasta bake or creamy sauce
- Creamy version – Stir in 150ml single cream after the pasta has finished cooking so the sauce stays silky.
- Baked version – Transfer cooked pasta to an ovenproof dish, top with mozzarella and bake at 170ºC for 20–30 minutes until the cheese is melted and golden and the sauce is bubbling.
💡 Using the right pasta shape with the correct sauce
Choose pasta shapes that match the sauce texture:
- Long, thin pasta – best with light sauces (spaghetti, angel hair with marinara or pesto).
- Short, wide pasta – pairs well with cream-based sauces (fettuccine, pappardelle).
- Tube-shaped pasta – ideal for both chunky meat sauces and cream sauces (penne, rigatoni).
- Spirals – good for chunky vegetable or meat sauces (fusilli, rotini).
- Small shapes – suit soups, salads and light dressings (orzo, ditalini).
- Stuffed pasta – pair with light or creamy sauces that complement the filling (ravioli, tortellini).
These are helpful guidelines, but feel free to experiment with combinations you enjoy.
🍯 Storage
- Store in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Not recommended for freezing, as the texture and sauce can change.
❓FAQ
Yes. Sausages like andouille or kielbasa can be used, though their flavour profiles differ from chorizo. They still make a tasty pasta when cooked and combined with the tomato sauce.
Yes. You can prepare it in advance and reheat before serving. Flavours often deepen after resting, making it a convenient make-ahead meal.
If you tried this recipe, please leave a comment and a star rating — I love hearing feedback.
Need help with meal planning? Check the weekly meal plans and resources available on the site for more recipe ideas and planning tips.
Quick And Easy One Pot Chorizo Pasta 7 Ingredients
Ingredients
- 400g (1 pound) rigatoni or similar pasta
- 1 small onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 200g chorizo, casing removed and cut into chunks
- 500g passata
- 2 tbsp tomato purée
- 1 tbsp dried oregano
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 50g Parmesan, grated
- 1 fresh mozzarella ball, drained
- ½ bunch fresh basil, chopped
Instructions
- In a high-sided skillet or saucepan, heat 2 tbsp olive oil. Sauté the chorizo until the fat renders and the sausage is golden. Transfer chorizo to a bowl and drain all but 1 tbsp of the fat. Add diced onion to the pan and cook about 5 minutes until soft and translucent. Add garlic and cook another 1–2 minutes.
- Stir in tomato purée and dried oregano, coating the onions, and cook 2–3 minutes. Pour in the passata and about 300ml boiling water, return chorizo to the pan, then add the rigatoni. Stir to combine, bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover and cook about 15 minutes or until the pasta is al dente and the sauce has thickened.
- Divide between bowls and top with grated Parmesan, torn mozzarella and fresh basil if desired.
Nutrition
Carbohydrates: 37 g |
Protein: 20 g |
Fat: 29 g