Creamy Chicken and Chorizo Pasta

This chicken and chorizo pasta is bursting with umami flavors. It's so delicious, that you will make this pasta over and over again. Best of all, this easy pasta recipe can be ready in about 30 minutes. 

A creamy pasta recipe that you and your family will love, this chicken and chorizo pasta is the ultimate comfort food you can enjoy year-round. The pasta and chicken are cooked to perfection in a rich and creamy tomato sauce. It's so tasty! 

This chicken pasta is a complete meal that contains the perfect amount of protein, carbs, and veggies. You can serve this pasta with an additional vegetable side dish or bread on the side. 

This was inspired by my creamy lemon chicken pasta on this site, and pairs well with this easy sautéed zucchini.

Jump to:

• Ingredients for Chicken and Chorizo Pasta
• Instructions for Cooking Chicken and Chorizo Pasta
• Substitutions
• Cooking Tips and Variations for Chicken and Chorizo Pasta
• Equipment
• Storage
• Reheating
• Top tip
• 📖 Recipe
• Food safety
• 💬 Comments

Ingredients for Chicken and Chorizo Pasta

This chicken and chorizo pasta is made of simple ingredients. You can find most of these ingredients at your local grocery store and in your pantry.

As always, use this recipe and ingredients as a starting point. You can always swap the ingredients based on your liking and availability. I will share some variations you can use in another section.

• Chorizo. Use Spanish chorizo in mild, sweet, or spicy variations. Spanish Chorizo is a cured, hard sausage made from coarsely chopped pork and heavily seasoned with paprika. 
• Penne. It's a short cylinder-shaped Italian pasta that has angled edges. Penne pasta holds up sauce well.
• Chicken. Use boneless and skinless chicken breasts and cut them into bite pieces. 
• Tomato. Use a combination of tomato paste and diced canned tomatoes to make tomato-based pasta sauce. The tomato paste is used to intensify the tomato flavor already present in canned tomatoes. 
• Onion. Use a yellow onion to build the flavor as a base for your pasta sauce.
• Cream. I used heavy cream (also known as double cream in the UK and broader Europe) to add thickness and creaminess to the sauce.
• Parmesan cheese. I used the cheese to add flavor and creaminess to the sauce. Remember to always grate fresh parmesan cheese blocks on your own instead of using the store-bought pre-grated cheese to avoid a gritty and grainy sauce. 
• Oregano. Oregano goes well with any tomato recipe, such as pasta and pizza. I just used a small amount of dried oregano to add an earthy flavor with a hint of sweetness to the pasta sauce. 
• Seasoning. Because the chorizo is packed with seasoning, this pasta doesn't require a long list of herbs and spices. The only seasonings I used to boost the flavor are sugar, salt, and black pepper. 
• Olive oil. I used olive oil to cook the chorizo and chicken.
• Butter. I added butter to add a smooth and velvety texture to the sauce. 

See the recipe card below for quantities.

Now let's talk about the preparation and cooking process.

Instructions for Cooking Chicken and Chorizo Pasta

The preparation and cooking process of this chicken and chorizo pasta is not complicated. Here are some important steps to follow.

Quick Summary 

Step 1. Cook the Pasta until Al Dente 

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil then season with salt. 
• Add penne pasta and cook until al-dente according to the product packaging. 

Step 2. Crisp the Chorizo and Pan-Sear the Chicken

1. In a large skillet, heat the oil. When it's hot, add diced chorizo. 
2. Cook and stir often for about 1-2 minutes or until tender-crisp. Transfer the sausages to a plate. 
3. In the same skillet, cook the chicken pieces undisturbed for 2 minutes or until golden brown. 
4. Flip the chicken pieces and continue to pan-sear until it's almost cooked. Transfer to a new plate. 

Step 3. Make the Sauce 

1. In the same skillet, add a small amount of oil if needed. Cook the onion on medium heat until soft, for about 4 minutes.
2. Add the garlic and stir just until fragrant. Add the tomato paste. Cook and keep stirring for 1 minute. Add sugar and stir to combine.
3. Add the diced tomatoes. Use a spatula to crush most of the tomato chunks and gently scrape any brown bits from the bottom of the pan to prevent burning. 
4. Add heavy cream and pasta water. Bring to a simmer and stir often for about 3 minutes or until the sauce is reduced and thickened. 
5. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Whisk in butter and parmesan cheese, a small amount at a time until melted. 

Step 4. Combine all the ingredients

1. Add the chorizo and bring the sauce to a simmer for 2 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and black pepper. 
2. Add the chicken and simmer for 1 minute or until fully cooked.
3. Add the pasta into the pot and stir, just until all of the ingredients are fully coated.

Substitutions

Here are some ingredients that you can substitute based on availability and specific dietary requirements.  Please keep in mind that a recipe substitution can sometimes alter the flavor, color, texture, and volume of the final product. 

Pasta. You can use any pasta tubes, gluten or gluten-free. You can substitute penne with any tubular pasta such as ditalini, rigatoni, or ziti. These pasta alternatives will hold creamy pasta sauce well too.

Heavy Cream. You can use half and half instead of heavy cream. Half and Half contain much lower fat than heavy cream but still give the sauce enough creaminess. 

Oregano. It can be substituted with Italian seasoning, basil, or marjoram. 

Cooking Tips and Variations for Chicken and Chorizo Pasta

• If the cream sauce is too thick. You can slowly add a small amount of pasta water a bit at a time to thin it out. 
• If the cream sauce is too thin. You can bring it to a simmer a bit longer before adding the chicken and pasta. Remember, the sauce will get thicker as it sits. 
• Salted water. The purpose of salting the water is to ensure the pasta is seasoned well in and out. For this recipe, I used about 1 tablespoon of kosher salt per 8 cups of water.
• Seasoning. Spanish chorizo is made with various seasonings and spices made from red peppers. For that reason, make sure that you simmer the chorizo in the sauce for a few minutes to allow the chorizo flavor to penetrate into the sauce. After that, you can taste the sauce and add extra spices of your choice if necessary. 
• Spicier pasta. If you are using mild or sweet chorizo and want to add a spicy kick to the sauce, use red chili pepper flakes. I highly recommend adding the chili flakes at the later step, a small amount at a time to avoid super spicy pasta. 
• Pasta water. Do not throw the pasta water away. You'll be using at least ½ cup of pasta water to make the sauce, and more to thin out the sauce if it gets too thick. 
• Portion size. This recipe is good for 4 people, about 2 oz of dried penne per person. However, you can use up to 10 oz of penne pasta per this recipe maximum. Keep in mind you may need to use extra salt, black pepper, and pasta water to compensate for the loss of flavor if you add more pasta.

Equipment

The type of equipment you use will have a big impact on how the recipe turns out. Some pans or stoves will take a longer time to heat up and cook. For that reason, please adjust the recipe's cooking time as needed. 

In this recipe, I used my All-Clad © d5 Brushed Stainless Steel 4-Quart Sauté Pan with Lid. It's my kitchen staple that can be used to make all kinds of recipes. 

Storage

Discard any cold leftovers that have been left out for more than 2 hours at room temperature or 1 hour when the temperature is above 90°F. You can learn more here.

Here's how to store leftover cooked chicken pasta.

• Let the hot chicken and chorizo pasta cools down to room temperature before refrigerating.
• Transfer the leftover to an airtight container.
• You can store the leftover for 3-5 days in the fridge or 3 months in the freezer.

Reheating

You can reheat the leftover pasta in a microwave, oven, or skillet. Here are some steps to follow.

Option 1. In the microwave

• Place a single serving of pasta in a microwave-safe bowl.
• Drizzle the pasta with a small amount of broth/pasta water/water (about 1-2 tablespoons) then cover the dish with a microwave-safe lid.
• Cook for 1 minute at medium heat. Open the door, If the pasta isn't warmed all the way through, stir it, and cook it again in 15-second increments until completely heated.

Option 2. In the skillet

• Place the cooked pasta in a skillet. Add a small amount of water or broth then reheat the pasta over medium-low heat for a few minutes until the pasta is heated through and the liquid is fully absorbed.

Option 3. In the oven

• Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• Transfer the leftover pasta to a baking dish.
• Drizzle the pasta with a small amount of broth/pasta water/water about 1-2 tablespoons) then cover the dish with foil.
• Reheat for about 15 minutes or until heated through.

Check Out These Delicious Side Dish Recipes

• Summer Squash Casserole
• Loaded Zucchini Slice
• Sauteed Zucchini
• Roasted Baby Potatoes
• Roasted Cherry Tomatoes

I hope you'll enjoy this recipe and share it with friends! If you try it and don't mind, please leave me a comment and/or give this recipe a rating.

📖 Recipe

Food safety

Food safety is used to prevent food-borne illness. Check out the list below with health and safety tips.

• Cook the chicken to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C).
• Wash your hands often before, during, and after preparing food, especially after touching raw meat.
• Use separate utensils and plates for cooked and raw foods.
• Don't let the food sit out at room temperature for extended periods.
• Do not cook with a damaged non-stick pan.
• Never leave cooking food unattended.
• Always keep your stove attended when it's on.
• Always reheat leftovers thoroughly to at least 165 °F.
• Learn more at FoodSafety.Gov