Chorizo pasta is a bold, savoury dish that combines smoky, spiced sausage with a bright, tangy tomato sauce that clings to chewy pasta. It’s an ideal easy pasta recipe for a relaxed night in with friends or family — prepared in one pan and ready in about 30 minutes.
This straightforward chorizo pasta was one of the first recipes published here and has remained a popular weeknight favourite.
Table of Contents
Easy pasta dishes are a speciality here — if you enjoy this recipe, try the Cajun chicken pasta, a slow cooker bolognese for busy days, or the vegetarian ricotta and spinach pasta for a lighter option.
⭐️ Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- The smoky, spicy notes of chorizo add depth and character to a simple pasta dish.
- You can easily add vegetables or swap ingredients to use what’s in your fridge, making this a flexible weeknight recipe.
- This one-pot pasta comes together in roughly 30 minutes, delivering a comforting, satisfying meal with minimal fuss.
Spanish chorizo vs Mexican chorizo
Chorizo is a pork sausage flavoured with paprika and other spices, but regional styles differ. The two common varieties are:
- Spanish chorizo – a cured, air-dried sausage made with pork, garlic and smoked paprika. It has a firm texture and a rich smoky flavour and can be eaten or cooked.
- Mexican chorizo – a fresh, loose sausage made from ground pork (or other meats), chilli and spices. It must be cooked before eating and releases more fat while cooking, so drain excess fat before continuing the recipe.
Either style works in this recipe; choose based on availability and your preferred flavour and texture.
🧾 Ingredients
- Chorizo: the key flavour component — remove the casing if needed and chop or crumble.
- Pasta: tube-shaped varieties like rigatoni or penne work best to hold the sauce.
- Tomatoes: passata or tins of crushed tomatoes give a smooth, tangy sauce — tinned is preferred for consistency.
- Onion and garlic: aromatic base for depth of flavour.
- Olive oil: for cooking and rounding out flavours.
- Herbs: dried oregano during cooking and fresh basil or parsley at the end brighten the dish.
- Optional: add bell peppers, mushrooms, olives, capers or a splash of white wine for variation.
See the recipe card below for quantities and full instructions.
🧂 Seasoning a recipe
Salt and seasoning are personal and depend on dietary needs, but follow these general tips:
- Start with a small amount of salt and taste as you go — you can always add more.
- Aim for balance: a good dish blends sweet, sour, salty and bitter elements.
- Adjust seasoning based on strong-flavoured ingredients; the more intense the ingredients, the less added seasoning you may need.
- Consider the cooking method: concentrated or roasted flavours may require less seasoning than milder, wetter methods.
👩🏻🍳 Step By Step
1 & 2
- Remove the chorizo casing if present and cut the sausage into small chunks.
- Heat olive oil in a high-sided skillet. Brown the chorizo until golden and the fat renders. Transfer the chorizo to a bowl and leave just about 1 tablespoon of fat in the pan.
*Leave roughly 1 tablespoon of chorizo fat in the pan for flavour; discard the rest.
3 & 4
- Add the diced onion and cook until softened, then stir in the garlic.
- Add the dried oregano and tomato purée, coating the onions. Cook 2–3 minutes to deepen the flavour.
5 & 6
- Pour in the passata and simmer for about 5 minutes to marry the flavours.
- Add about 300ml boiling water, return the chorizo to the pan and stir in the rigatoni. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, cover and cook 12–15 minutes until the pasta is al dente and the sauce has thickened.
Making chorizo pasta bake or creamy sauce
- Creamy chorizo pasta – Once the pasta is cooked, stir in 150ml single cream to create a silky sauce. Add the cream at the end so it doesn’t over-reduce.
- Chorizo pasta bake – Prepare the dish as instructed, transfer to an ovenproof dish, top with shredded mozzarella and bake in a 170ºC oven 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
Pair pasta shapes with sauces that cling or collect in a way that complements the ingredients:
- Long, thin pasta – best with light sauces (spaghetti, angel hair, vermicelli).
- Short, wide pasta – suits cream-based sauces (fettuccine, pappardelle, linguine).
- Tube-shaped pasta – versatile with both light and hearty sauces (penne, rigatoni, ziti).
- Spiral-shaped pasta – catches chunky vegetable or meat sauces well (fusilli, rotini).
- Small shapes – ideal for soups, salads or lighter dressings (orzo, ditalini, farfalle).
- Stuffed pasta – pairs nicely with light or creamy sauces that complement the filling (ravioli, tortellini).
These are guidelines — feel free to experiment to find combinations you love.
🍯 Storage
- Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Not recommended for freezing, as the texture of the sauce and cheese can change.
❓FAQ
Yes. Sausages like andouille or kielbasa can be substituted, but expect a different flavour profile. They still make a tasty pasta when cooked and combined with tomato sauce.
Yes. Chorizo pasta reheats well and the flavours often deepen after resting. Reheat gently on the stove or in the oven to preserve texture.
If you tried this recipe or another from the site, please leave a comment and a star rating — feedback is always appreciated.
Need help with meal planning? There are weekly meal plans available on the site and a short meal-planning course to help you use recipes like this one to build a practical rotation.
Quick And Easy One Pot Chorizo Pasta 7 Ingredients
10 minutes
20 minutes
Ingredients
- 400 g Rigatoni or similar noodle (1 pound)
- 1 small onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 200 g chorizo, casing removed and cut into chunks
- 500 g passata (about 2 cups)
- 2 tablespoons tomato purée
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 50 g Parmesan, grated
- 1 fresh mozzarella ball, drained
- ½ bunch fresh basil, chopped
Instructions
-
In a high-sided skillet, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil. Sauté the chorizo until the fat has rendered and the pieces are golden. Remove to a bowl, leaving about 1 tablespoon of fat in the pan. Add diced onion and cook about 5 minutes until soft and translucent, then add garlic and cook another 2 minutes.
-
Stir in the tomato purée and dried oregano, coating the onions and cooking for 2–3 minutes. Pour in the passata and about 300ml boiling water, return the chorizo to the pan and add the rigatoni. Stir to coat, bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for about 15 minutes until the pasta is al dente and the sauce is thick.
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Divide between bowls and top with grated Parmesan, torn mozzarella and fresh basil.
Nutrition
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Carbohydrates: 37 g
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Protein: 20 g
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Fat: 29 g