Chorizo Pasta

This is an easy weeknight pasta recipe, but taste like you spent all afternoon on it. Chorizo Pasta includes homemade chorizo that goes straight into a simple tomato sauce with cream and parmesan until everything comes together into something rich, saucy, and genuinely hard to stop eating. If you have store-bought chorizo on hand, that works too. Either way, easy beef recipe will have dinner done in under an hour.

Why You'll Love This Easy Recipe

First- This easy, all most one pot meal is a quick and delicious weeknight dinner. It has all the comfort of pasta with southwest flavors. I don't know about your family, but my family likes a change from the too familiar Italian flavors that usually come with pasta.

Next- Everything you need for a meal is in this dish. protein, vegetable (in the sauce), dairy and grain... it's got you covered.

Anything else you choose to serve is optional.

What to Serve with This Easy Dinner

I like to serve this chorizo pasta recipe with a nice salad or easy green vegetable. My favorites are my Jicama Orange Salad with Chile Lime Vinaigrette or Mexican Street Corn Salad.

Try something seasonal with this Blueberry Grape Salad.

Ingredients You'll Need for this Chorizo Pasta recipe

Time Saving Substitutions

This is a list of all the ingredients I use. BUT, Substituting ingredients in this recipe is so easy!

First off, the sauce. Yes! You can use your favorite enchilada sauce, red chile sauce or even a very mild marinara sauce.

Next, the chorizo. I make homemade chorizo all the time and make a large batch BUT, you absolutely can use store bought chorizo. I like the kind or chorizo in the soft casings from the butcher counter NOT the dried chorizo.

Switch out the rigatoni pasta for any pasta you have on hand (even spaghetti). Rigatoni is great because the pasta tubes are large to scoop the chorizo and sauce but I usually have penne on hand so I use that. Here is a great link for tips on how to cook penne pasta.

Homemade Chorizo

• Ground pork: the fat is flavor here. Aim for 20 to 30% fat so the chorizo stays juicy and rich, not dry.
• Smoked and sweet paprika: the combination gives the chorizo depth and that signature reddish color.
• Crushed red pepper flakes: adjust to your heat preference.
• Ground cumin and dried oregano: the earthy base that makes it taste unmistakably like chorizo.
• Garlic cloves: fresh and very finely minced, so it blends right into the meat.
• Red wine vinegar: a small splash that tenderizes the pork and adds just enough tang.
• Olive oil: it helps the spices distribute evenly through the meat.
• Salt and pepper: go light; the spices are already doing a lot.

Sauce and Pasta

• Olive oil: we used it to build the base of the sauce.
• Yellow onion and garlic cloves: these add an extra layer of flavor.
• Tomato paste: we used it to deepen the tomato flavor.
• Passata: smooth tomato base that simmers into a silky sauce.
• Heavy cream: just enough to make the sauce rich without being heavy.
• Parmesan: use freshly grated for best results.
• Rigatoni: either these or penne rigate will work just fine.
• Salt and pepper: taste and adjust at the end.

How to Make creamy Chorizo Pasta

Mix all the chorizo ingredients in a bowl and use your hands to combine everything evenly. Let it rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes — overnight is even better. The resting time lets the spices sink into the meat and the vinegar do its job. Skip this step if you're using store-bought.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat and cook the diced onion until golden and soft, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add the minced garlic and tomato paste and stir for 30 seconds until fragrant. Add the chorizo and cook, breaking it up as it browns, until fully cooked through.

Pour in the passata and stir everything together. Reduce the heat and let it simmer for 30 minutes. This is where the sauce develops, so it's best not to rush it.

While the sauce simmers, cook the rigatoni in well-salted water until just before al dente. Reserve a cup of pasta water before draining.

Stir the heavy cream and shredded parmesan into the sauce and let the cheese melt in fully. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Add the cooked rigatoni directly into the sauce along with a splash of pasta water. Toss everything together over low heat for a minute or two until the pasta finishes cooking in the sauce and everything is well coated. Serve immediately.

Tips for the Best Chorizo Pasta

• Look for fatty ground pork to get a rich chorizo and flavorful sauce.
• Grate the parmesan yourself. Pre-shredded cheese has anti-caking agents that prevent it from melting smoothly into the sauce.
• Pull the pasta early. Cook it 1 minute before al dente, then let it finish in the sauce. It absorbs flavor and the texture is much better.
• Don't skip the simmer. Thirty minutes feels long but that's what turns a basic tomato sauce into something that tastes slow-cooked.

Storage and Make-Ahead Tips

• Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. The pasta will absorb more sauce as it sits, so add a splash of water or broth when reheating to loosen it back up.
• The chorizo can be mixed and marinated up to 24 hours in advance. The sauce can also be made ahead and refrigerated for up to 3 days, just cook the pasta fresh when you're ready to serve.