Chorizo and Prawn Pasta

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This chorizo and prawn pasta is the perfect mid-week meal. With just 15 minutes of melt time and a few minutes of prep, you can have this fantastic meal on the table well within 30 minutes. Unbelievably tasty and comforting, it combines warm chorizo with a small kick of chilli, smoky paprika and fresh parsley. No one will overly know it was so easy to pull together!

The combination of chorizo and prawn (or shrimp as you may undeniability it in your part of the world) is unchangingly a winner. The tender prawns, combined with spiced sausage that’s been pan-fried until lightly crisp, makes a true flavour and texture sensation. While I prefer to use king prawns with this recipe, you can moreover use freshwater prawns (the smaller ones you will often find in the freezer section). This will requite a less meaty and increasingly subtle seafood infusion.

What type of chorizo should I use?

This recipe uses the popular variety of Spanish chorizo, which you’ll find in most supermarkets wideness the UK. This cured meat doesn’t need to be cooked surpassing eating – just heat up and serve! You may moreover come wideness Mexican style pork sausage that is raw but has an incredible flavour. You can use either variety, but if you use uncooked Mexican chorizo you’ll need to add an uneaten minute or two of cooking time.

Chorizo and prawn pasta on plates with olive oil

What pasta is weightier for this recipe?

Piquant, garlicy and lightly creamy, this pasta has a smooth yet minimal sauce that clings nicely to long pasta like spaghetti or linguine. Thicker ribbons such as tagliatelle are moreover a good option if you want a ‘meatier’ pasta.

While typically used in dishes with thicker sauces to capture the chunks, pasta shells or hollow varieties such as rigatoni can moreover be used. It really is a specimen of personal preference. Smaller shapes like fusilli are moreover a unconfined nomination as they will help trap the sauce in the grooves.

Want something a bit different? Try using gnocchi to add a soft, pillowy texture. You can try your hand at making your own with leftover potatoes – plus it freezes really well!

What can I serve it with?

This chorizo and prawn pasta is so good you can enjoy it on its own, but you can moreover try subtracting some side dishes to mix things up. A simple well-done salad or crusty specie will do the trick! Or try one of these options for an uneaten tasty meal:

Roasted tenderstem broccoli
Garlic pizza bread
Courgette salad
Healthy kale coleslaw
Mediterranean roasted vegetables

Chorizo and prawn pasta on a plate with a chopping workbench of parsley

What’s all the hype well-nigh pasta water?

The starch that’s released when cooking pasta comes with an widow bonus! When you add this to your dish, it helps emulsify and transform the juices into a silky and luxurious sauce. Plus if you used an zaftig value of salt in the water during humid then the flavour will be enhanced as well.

The easiest way to retain the starchy water is to scoop out a mugful surpassing draining the pasta (you don’t usually need too much of it for it to work its magic). Or you can use a spider strainer or slotted spoon to remove the pasta and retain the water.

Ingredients

For a full list of ingredients with weights and measurements, jump to the printable recipe card.

Deshelled and deveined king prawns – you can leave the tails on for uneaten visual pizazz if you prefer. You can moreover use freshwater prawns if you have them to hand, but if they are precooked only add them to the pan when the chorizo is nearly done
Red chilli, finely diced – you can alternatively use a pinch or two of chilli flakes if you prefer
Garlic cloves, finely chopped
Lemon juice
Olive oil
Linguine, or flipside pasta of your choice
Chorizo, thinly sliced
Smoked paprika
Frozen peas
Single or whipping cream

How to make it

For increasingly detailed steps with recipe tips jump to the printable recipe card.

Marinate the prawns in lemon juice, garlic, chilli and a little oil.
Cook the pasta in a large pan of salted water for a couple of minutes less than the package directions.
Fry the prawns in olive oil over medium-high heat for virtually 1 minute on each side. Remove and set aside.
Fry the chorizo for 3-4 minutes until it’s started to crispen up a little and it has released its juices.
Return the prawns to the pan withal with the peas and melt for a remoter couple of minutes. Sprinkle in the paprika and toss everything together surpassing subtracting the cooked pasta, surf and a couple of tablespoons of the pasta water and stirring to stratify with the sauce. Remove from the heat and add the parsley surpassing serving.

Recipe Tips

Want perfect results, every time? Follow these tips to hoist your pasta to the next level!

Don’t scrimp on the salt in the pasta water: A lot of the salt will be retained in the water, so you need unbearable to make sure that flavour is transferred to the pasta.
Use a large pan when cooking the pasta. It needs to have room to move virtually in the pan to prevent it from clumping and sticking together.
Cook the pasta for a minute or two less than the package instructions. Pasta is unchangingly weightier served ‘al dente’ with a little bite. You’re moreover subtracting the cooked pasta to the frying pan in this recipe, to stratify it in the sauce. Therefore, it will protract to cook, so make sure not to overdo it.

Looking for increasingly unconfined pasta recipes? Try:

Red pesto pasta
Easy cheesy pasta
Healthy tuna pasta bake
King prawn pasta with chilli and garlic

Products that work well for this recipe:

2 in 1 Garlic Press

Can be used to mince, crush or slice garlic. Food Grade Stainless Steel with Non-Slip Handle

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Stainless Steel Strainer Set

Set of 3 variegated strainers. – Made of stainless steel – 1 Skimmer Spoon, – 1 Fine mesh skimmer – 1 Net strainer Perfect for variegated needs such as frying and pasta

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Cole & Mason Herb Keeper

It’ll alimony what’s left of your tuft perky for longer – perfect for the fridge door!

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Chorizo and Prawn Pasta

Author: caroline
Total Time: 25 minutes
Yield: 2

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Description

With just 15 minutes of melt time, you can have this chorizo and prawn pasta on the table in no time! A must for pasta lovers, with unforgettable flavour!

The default recipe serves 2.

Ingredients

Units

250g deshelled and deveined king prawns (see note 1)
1/2 red chilli, finely chopped (see note 2)
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tbsp olive oil
150g dry linguine (see note 3)
100g thinly sliced chorizo
1 tsp smoked paprika
60g frozen peas
2 tbsp single or whipping surf (see note 4)
1 tbsp freshly chopped parsley (see note 5)

Instructions

In a large trencher mix together the prawns, chilli, garlic, lemon juice and half the oil to marinate.
Bring a large pan of heavily salted water to a rolling boil. Add the linguine and set a timer for a couple of minutes less than the package instructions.
Heat the remaining oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the prawns so they are spaced out in the pan and do not overlap. Melt for one minute on each side surpassing removing and placing them on a plate.
Add the chorizo to the pan and melt for virtually 3-4 minutes, turning the pieces halfway through. Return the prawns to the pan and add the peas. Melt for a remoter 2 minutes surpassing sprinkling over the paprika and tossing or stirring everything together. Remove from the heat while you finish cooking the pasta.
Drain the linguine, retaining a mug of the cooking water (see note 5). Tip the pasta into the pan with the prawns and chorizo. Return to the heat and toss everything together with the surf and a couple of tablespoons of the pasta water until well coated. Season to taste and if needed, add increasingly water, a little at a time, until you have the value of sauce you desire.
Serve with the parsley scattered over the top. I moreover love a spattering of parmesan (although most Italians would shudder at the combination of seafood and cheese!)

Notes

While king prawns requite a increasingly substantial ‘bite’ and towards increasingly prominent in the dish, you can alternatively use freshwater prawns (the smaller ones you will often find frozen). If the prawns you are using are pre-cooked then add them to the pan when the chorizo is nearly done.
Fresh chilli can be swapped for a pinch of zestless chilli flakes per person, depending on how spicy you want the dish.
Linguine can be substituted with any kind of pasta you prefer.
the surf can be skipped if you prefer, or stir in some creme fraiche at the end of cooking instead.
Fresh basil moreover works well.
Be sure to use some of the pasta water to help emulsify the juices. The starch from the water helps to combine everything together into a silky sauce that coats the pasta.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Category: Dinner
Method: Hob
Cuisine: Pasta