Spicy Chorizo Pasta
Published Jan. 13, 2021
- Total Time
- 30 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
Ingredients
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- 1pound orecchiette or other short pasta
- ¼cup olive oil
- 4ounces Spanish chorizo, casing removed (see Tip), if necessary, and thinly sliced
- 3tablespoons double concentrate tomato paste (or 6 tablespoons canned tomato paste)
- 3garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
- ½teaspoon red-pepper flakes
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
639 calories; 22 grams fat; 5 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 13 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 89 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams dietary fiber; 5 grams sugars; 19 grams protein; 396 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook, according to package directions, until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta.
- Step 2
Meanwhile, in a large Dutch oven, heat the olive oil and chorizo over medium-high. Cook, stirring occasionally, until chorizo is crisp and brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Turn off the heat and use a slotted spoon to transfer the chorizo to a plate.
- Step 3
Return the pot to medium heat and add the tomato paste and garlic. Cook, stirring, until the tomato paste is caramelized and a shade darker, 3 to 5 minutes, covering the pan if the splattering is wild. Add the red-pepper flakes and a few grinds of black pepper, then remove from heat.
- Step 4
Add the cooked pasta and ½ cup of the reserved pasta water to the tomato mixture. Return the pot to the medium-high heat, and stir vigorously until the pasta is well coated. Add more pasta water until the sauce is glossy. Stir in the chorizo and season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Some cured chorizo casings are edible, but if the casings on your sausage are white and chalky, plastic or especially thick, remove them before cooking.
Private Notes
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Comments
Ah! A recipe for good old "macarrones con chorizo". This is everyday comfort food in Spain (where I lived for 25 years), just like mac 'n cheese is here. No need to "thinly slice" the chorizo; small bite size chunks work better. And this recipe seems awfully dry; I use a can of diced tomatoes cooked down with a little onion and garlic to make a tomato sauce. Bake it in the oven in a casserole dish with grated parmesan cheese on top. Oh, and any kind of pasta will do, usually small macaroni.
This dish was perfect as is, as long as you add enough of the reserved pasta water and then heat the pasta and tomato paste to make a glossy sauce. This preserves the caramelization of the tomato paste, which gives it a lovely smoky flavor. There’s no need to put in diced tomatoes, which make it a completely different dish. Honestly, sometimes I’m waiting for some of these notes to say that people added chocolate chips, green olives, and pine cones “and it was so much better that way!”
This was pretty good, and certainly easy to make on a weeknight. I used chicken chorizo (since we generally don't eat pork). Next time I think I would add something green, like kale or broccoli rabe, and it would probably benefit from some sauteed onions.
Would recommend adding green pepper & onion. Great weeknight meal!
To everyone complaining about making changes to this recipe -- the beauty of comfort food is that everyone makes it their own way, and it is nearly infinitely adaptable. Stop complaining and start adapting! I make this with lots of manchego mixed in and grated on top. Sometimes I add greens and sometimes I serve with veggies on the side. Wonderful, versatile recipe!
I used good quality Spanish chorizo , followed the recipe, except I added a small shallot and used only half the pasta. I’m glad I did as otherwise it would have been dry. The sauce coated the pasta perfectly. I thought it was a little one dimensional. It needed acid or a creamy element. I can see why the one Spanish gentleman said his mother added a splash of milk. Creamy goat cheese would also work. I had some leftover chimmichurri that I had made. It was the perfect touch. The acid and the freshness of the herbs worked well together . A tasty and quick recipe.