Chicken and Chorizo Pasta – Easy Smoky Weeknight Recipe
Bold, smoky and packed with flavour, this pasta gets its richness from paprika‑rich chorizo oil and tender chicken.
As it cooks, the chorizo releases its deep red paprika oil, creating the base of a glossy sauce that coats the spaghetti. Sun‑dried tomatoes add tangy depth, peas bring sweetness, and the chicken stays tender throughout.
It’s a simple, satisfying pasta dish that comes together quickly and always feels like a proper treat.
If you enjoy bold Mediterranean flavours, you might also like my Harissa Pasta with Feta and Tomatoes.
Ingredients
🍝 Spaghetti
🫒 Olive oil
🍗 Chicken fillet
🌶️ Sweet smoked paprika
🔥 Spicy chorizo (picante)
🧅 Onion
🧄 Garlic
🍅 Sun-dried tomatoes in oil
🟢 Cooked peas
Full Ingredient Amounts in the Recipe Card Below
Spaghetti — Regular dried spaghetti works perfectly. Penne or fusilli also cling well to the sauce.
Olive oil — Just a splash to get the chorizo started — the chorizo oil does the rest.
Chicken — Breast or thigh both work. Thigh stays juicier; breast is leaner.
Sweet smoked paprika — Enhances the smoky flavour and gives the chicken gorgeous colour.
Spicy chorizo (picante) — This is key. Picante chorizo releases deep red, spicy, paprika-rich oil that becomes the base of the sauce.
Onion — Finely chopped for sweetness and depth.
Garlic — Fresh garlic lifts the whole dish and balances the richness.
Sun-dried tomatoes in oil — Tangy, savoury and glossy — they help create the sauce and add texture.
Cooked peas — A pop of sweetness and colour.
Instructions
Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil and cook the spaghetti according to the packet instructions, cooked to your liking.
While that's happening, heat a tiny amount of olive oil in a large frying pan, add the sliced chorizo, and gently fry, moving it around the pan until it starts to crisp. Then remove and set aside. Don't wash the pan. Keep the lovely orange oil to add back to the dish later.
Now add the chicken and sprinkle over the paprika. Cook until it's 'almost cooked', then remove and set aside.
In the same pan, without washing it, heat it up and toss in the onions. Cook for a few minutes, stirring occasionally, then add the garlic and sun-dried tomatoes.
Once the onions are soft, turn the heat up slightly and put the chicken and chorizo back in to heat through along with a pinch of black pepper.
Drain the spaghetti, reserving ½ cup of the salty water. Add the spaghetti into the frying pan and give it a stir. Add the peas to warm through, and make sure the chicken is fully cooked.
Add as much or as little of the reserved chorizo oil as you like, along with a splash of pasta water if it seems too dry. Taste the dish, adjust the seasoning as needed, and serve immediately.
Optional Add-Ins and Switch-Ups
Add more smoked paprika:
Increase the smoky flavour by adding an extra 1/2 teaspoon of smoked
paprika.
Add chilli flakes:
A pinch (or up to 1/2 teaspoon) of chilli flakes gives the dish a nice bit
of heat.
Use mild chorizo:
Swap hot (picante) chorizo to mild if you don't like too much heat.
Add roasted red peppers:
Jarred roasted peppers in oil (not brine) add sweetness and colour — chop
and stir them through at the end.
Add olives:
A handful of sliced black olives works really well with chorizo and
sun-dried tomatoes.
Add fresh basil:
A few torn basil leaves add freshness and lift the Mediterranean flavours.
Have you tried this recipe?
Please leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating in the recipe card below!
Chicken and Chorizo Pasta
A bold, smoky chicken and chorizo pasta made with paprika‑rich chorizo oil, tender chicken, sun‑dried tomatoes and peas. Quick, comforting and full of flavour.
Ingredients
- Spaghetti - enough for two
- olive oil
- 2 skinless chicken fillets - sliced into thin strips
- 1 teaspoon of sweet smoked paprika)
- ½ a chorizo ring - skin removed, sliced and halved so you have half-moons
- 1 brown onion - peeled and chopped into small dice
- 2 cloves garlic - minced
- a few sun-dried tomatoes in oil and taken from a jar
- a handful of cooked peas
Instructions
- Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil and cook the spaghetti according to the packet instructions, cooked to your liking
- While that's happening, heat a tiny amount of olive oil in a large frying pan, add the sliced chorizo, and gently fry, moving it around the pan until it starts to crisp. Then remove and set aside. Don't wash the pan. Keep the lovely orange oil to add back to the dish later.
- Now add the chicken and sprinkle over the paprika. Cook until it's 'almost cooked', then remove and set aside.
- In the same pan, without washing it, heat it up and toss in the onions. Cook for a few minutes, stirring occasionally, then add the garlic and sun-dried tomatoes. Once the onions are soft, turn the heat up slightly and put the chicken and chorizo back in to heat through along with a pinch of black pepper.
- Drain the spaghetti, reserving ½ cup of the salty water. Add the spaghetti into the frying pan and give it a stir. Add the peas to warm through, and make sure the chicken is fully cooked.
- Add as much or as little of the reserved chorizo oil as you like, along with a splash of pasta water if it seems too dry. Taste the dish, adjust the seasoning as needed, and serve immediately.
Notes
If you don't cook your spaghetti in salted water - and you really should. You will most certainly need to add a pinch of salt to season, otherwise, it will taste bland.
No comments
Post a Comment
I love to hear from everyone so thanks for taking the time to comment. Please note comments containing links will NOT be published.
Cheers
Jan