Chicken and Chorizo Pasta

This chicken and chorizo pasta recipe is on the table in under 20 minutes and is an easy family dinner perfect for busy weeknights. With smokey chorizo and juicy chicken in a rich tomato sauce, this is a pasta dish that always popular with young and old alike!

I often like to roast a chicken (or 2!) at the weekend and then use the leftover cooked chicken the followings days to make a chicken and broccoli pasta bake or chicken and sweetcorn pie, leftover chicken curry or my favourite lunch, a chicken mayo sandwich. It’s an economic way of enjoying chicken, and helps with weeknight dinners!

Why we love this recipe

• Quick and easy recipe made with a handful of ingredients.
• Like chicken basquaise, chicken in a tomato sauce with sweet capsicum / peppers is a delicious combination. Add in some smokey chorizo and it is a guaranteed crowd pleaser!
• A pasta dinner that kids and adults love.
• An easy recipe for leftover chicken.

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Ingredient notes and substitutions

Please scroll down to the recipe card at the end of the post for ingredient quantities.

• Pasta – I use pasta bows (Farfalle) for these photos but you can use your favourite pasta shapes such as penne, rigatoni, or even spaghetti.
• Chicken – any leftover cooked chicken will work in this pasta recipe; from leftover roast chicken, bbq chicken or rotisserie chicken, to baked chicken thighs. See tips below if you want to make this using uncooked chicken.
• Chorizo sausage – this smoked paprika pork sausage is so good with chicken! You can use cooking chorizo (a raw chorizo style sausage) or cured chorizo.
• Capsicum – bell peppers. I like to use a red pepper and a green pepper but you can use the same colour or other vegetables like broccoli.
• Tomatoes – tinned / canned chopped or diced tomatoes. You can use passata or puréed tomatoes instead for an even smoother tomato sauce. If you have peeled whole tomatoes then crush them with your hands or the back of a spoon before adding to the pan.
• Tomato puree / concentrated tomato paste – for a deep tomato flavour.
• Onion and garlic cloves – base flavour ingredients.
• Smoked paprika – this Spanish spice adds to the smokiness of the chorizo, but mildly – it’s not like a barbecue type of smokiness!

How to make this chicken and chorizo pasta recipe

Please scroll down to the recipe card at the end of the post for the full recipe.

1. Cook the pasta in a large pan of lightly salted boiling water according to the packet instructions.
2. While the past is boiling, fry the onion in the olive oil in a medium saucepan over a medium heat. Add the chorizo cubes and cook until golden, then stir in the garlic and tomato paste and the sliced capsicum / pepper and cook for a minute. TIP: cooking the chorizo before adding the rest of the ingredients not only draws out the smokey flavour, but using the oil that comes out of the chorizo adds extra flavour to the dish.

3. Pour in the tomatoes and water, sprinkle in the smoked paprika and turn the heat up and gently simmer.
4. Add the shredded chicken and heat through.

5. Drain the cooked pasta then add to the pan with the chicken chorizo mixture and stir. Check for seasoning, adding a little salt and black pepper to taste. Serve straight away, sprinkled with fresh parsley or grated parmesan cheese.

FAQ

My recipe tips

• Salt the pasta cooking water – this adds flavour to your pasta.
• Cook the chorizo over a low – medium heat – to allow the flavours to develop, as well as allowing it to turn a golden brown colour and become crispy, rather than catching and burning, which can make it taste bitter.
• Save a little of the pasta cooking water and add it to the sauce if it seems a little dry.
• Using uncooked chicken in this recipe – if you don’t have any leftover cooked chicken, you can cut chicken thighs or chicken breast in to bite size pieces and season with salt and black pepper and cook with the chorizo. Check the chicken is cooked before serving.

Use seasonal vegetables – such as broccoli or cauliflower to reduce the cost.

Or use tinned or frozen sweetcorn, peas or other frozen vegetables.

Serving Ideas

This chicken chorizo pasta is delicious on it’s own, topped with fresh parsley or a little grated parmesan cheese; but if you have a house full of hungry mouths to feed, or want to stretch it to feed another person, serve it with:

• some slices of homemade air fryer garlic bread.
• a crisp salad like this rocket parmesan salad or pear and walnut salad.

Make ahead/storage

If making this chicken pasta with leftover chicken I do not recommend storing any leftovers.

If you make this recipe without using leftover chicken then store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.

Variations

• Other vegetables – use tinned sweetcorn, frozen spinach, sliced mushrooms or broccoli or cauliflower florets.
• Extra spice – add a sprinkling of chilli flakes.
• Herbs – a teaspoon of mixed herbs or Italian seasoning would be a delicious addition.

Why not try…

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