This easy peasy Chicken and Chorizo Pasta is the perfect midweek meal: quick and simple to make, and utterly delicious. Perfect for those busy weeknights when you don’t have a lot of time to cook, but you still want to eat well!
Chicken and Chorizo: a match made in heaven
Chicken and chorizo is such a great combo, isn’t it? I know it’s a favourite among Easy Peasy Foodie readers, as some of my most popular recipes feature this combination, including…
- Chicken, Chorizo and Chickpea Stew
- Chicken and Chorizo Risotto
- Chicken and Chorizo Paella
- Chicken, Chorizo and Sweet Potato Traybake
And now I have another recipe to add to the collection: Easy Chicken and Chorizo Pasta. If you like my other chicken and chorizo recipes, you are going to love this one!
So quick and easy!
And this Chicken and Chorizo Pasta is so quick and easy to make. All you need to do is fry the chicken, then remove the chicken and fry up some red onions, red peppers, chorizo and garlic. Next, add a tin of chopped tomatoes, together with the cooked chicken, and simmer. Finally, stir in some freshly cooked pasta and torn basil leaves. Serve garnished with more basil and sprinkled with grated cheese. Easy peasy!
(Find the full recipe in the recipe card below.)
What to serve with Chicken and Chorizo Pasta
This easy pasta dish is a complete meal in its own right. But if you are feeling the need for something extra, serve with garlic bread and/or a green salad.
What to drink with Chicken and Chorizo Pasta
The bold flavours in this dish go best with red wine. Try a Rioja Crianza (or similar Spanish wine) or a Chianti (or similar Italian wine).
If you prefer white, I’d recommend a bold and gutsy Sauvignon Blanc from somewhere like Chile or New Zealand.
Alternatively, try a fruity rosé from the South of France or Spain.
Make it your own!
This recipe is very flexible, so feel free to adapt it to suit your tastes! Here are a few ideas:
- Use diced bacon or lardons, instead of chorizo
- Use diced chicken thigh, instead of chicken breast
- Use diced turkey breast, instead of chicken breast
- Use a different colour pepper, instead of (or as well as) the red pepper
- Use diced courgette, aubergine, carrots or mushrooms, instead of (or as well as) the red pepper
- Add in a handful of prawns 3 minutes before the end of cooking time, instead of instead of (or as well as) one of the meats
- Use dried oregano, instead of (or as well as) the basil
- Use dried Italian mixed herbs, instead of (or as well as) the basil
(Did you adapt this recipe? I’d love to hear about it! Let us know in the comment section below.)
What to do with leftover Chicken and Chorizo Pasta
This is definitely a dish that’s best eaten fresh. But if you do end up with leftovers, I recommend turning the leftovers into a pasta bake.
Simply, put any leftovers in a plastic lidded container and place in the fridge, where they will keep for up to 3 days.
To reheat, put the leftovers in an ovenproof dish and sprinkle with cheese. Place into an oven preheated to 180C (160C fan / gas mark 4 / 350F). Cook for 10-15 minutes, or until piping hot all the way through.
Can you freeze Chicken and Chorizo Pasta?
I don’t recommend freezing pasta. However, the sauce freezes very well. Simply put the cooked and cooled sauce into a plastic lidded container and place it in the freezer, where it will keep for up to 3 months.
Defrost overnight in the fridge, then reheat in a saucepan until piping hot, before stirring into freshly cooked pasta.
If you like this recipe…
…you might also like:
Easy Chicken and Chorizo Pasta
Ingredients
- 300 g pasta (penne or fusilli work best)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 350 g chicken breast cut into bite-sized pieces (approximately 2 chicken breasts)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 medium red onion finely diced
- 1 red pepper diced
- 130 g chorizo diced (I recommend you buy this ready-diced as it makes cooking this dish much quicker and easier!)
- 2 cloves garlic crushed or grated
- 400 g tin chopped tomatoes
- 10 g basil plus extra for garnish (optional)
- Parmesan or cheddar grated (optional)
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to packet instructions / your own preferences. Drain immediately when cooked to your liking.
- Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over a high heat for 1 minute. While the oil is heating up, season the diced chicken with a little salt and pepper.
- Fry the chicken in the frying pan for 3 minutes, or until lightly browned, turning occasionally to ensure most surfaces are browned.
- Tip the chicken onto a plate and return the pan to the heat.
- Turn the heat down to low and add the diced red onions, red peppers and chorizo. Fry for 4 minutes, or until the onions are softened.
- Add the garlic and fry for 1 more minute on low.
- Add the chopped tomatoes together with the cooked chicken. Turn up the heat and bring to the boil, then turn the heat right down and simmer for 5 minutes. When the 5 minutes are up. Turn the heat off completely. (See Note 1.)
- Finally, tip the pasta into the sauce and turn the pasta in the sauce until it is well coated.
- Rip up the basil and stir it into the pasta.
- Serve garnished with more basil – on its own or with grated cheese.
Notes
- Cooked as per the above instructions, the chicken should be fully cooked all the way through. However, if you are at all unsure, check the chicken is cooked through by cutting open the largest piece you can find. There should be no pink meat. If you do find pink meat, return the pan to the heat and continue cooking until the chicken is fully cooked and there is no pink meat.
- Suitable for freezing (sauce only).
- Nutrition information is approximate and meant as a guideline only.
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