If you want a pasta dish that is quick and easy but still fancy enough to serve for company, this Prawn and Chorizo pasta is the one. Plump and juicy king prawns and savoury chorizo are tossed in spaghetti with a sweet and aromatic blistered tomato sauce. This is a dish that feels like it could be served in a restaurant, but you can throw it together at home in less than 30 minutes.
This Prawn and Chorizo Spaghetti is one of those dishes I make when I need something that is quick and easy but also feels more refined than your basic comfort food. Like my Chilli Prawn Linguine, it is stylish enough for a date night or entertaining.
The flavour combination is perfect – the sweet tomatoes compliment the smoky chorizo so well. And the big juicy jumbo shrimp are a great bonus.
You can have this luxurious pasta on the table within 30 minutes, and there are only a few ingredients. For me, this is almost a pantry pasta as I usually have tomatoes and a chunk of chorizo sausage lurking in my fridge, and keep frozen prawns on hand for quick meals.
Ingredient Notes
The full list is in the recipe card below, but here are a few helpful hints about key ingredients to help you make the best Prawn and Chorizo Pasta.
- King Prawns or Jumbo Shrimp – I typically use frozen prawns. They defrost in the fridge in a few hours or you can run them under cold water in a colander or sieve to defrost in minutes. Raw prawns or shrimp need to be cooked off first, but you can use pre-cooked prawns and simply add them in at the end.
- Chorizo – Cured pork sausage flavoured with spices like paprika and garlic. Feel free to use a spicy chorizo if you like heat.
- Pasta – Spaghetti is my preference for this recipe, but you can use another long pasta shape like linguine. Shorter pasta shapes can also work.
- Cherry Tomatoes – cooked until they blister and release their juices. The tomatoes make the delicious sauce to coat the pasta.
- Aromatics – Garlic and fresh parsley enhance the tomato sauce beautifully.
Serving and Storing
I serve my shrimp and chorizo pasta with a green salad or some garlic bread to mop up the sauce.
This pasta is best served freshly cooked, but you can store leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave.
If you don’t eat prawns, swap them for scallops or grilled chicken.
Stir some rocket, arugula or spinach through the pasta just before serving if you would like to add some greens.
You can garnish the prawn pasta with some grated parmesan cheese or add some crispy breadcrumbs for extra texture.
I hope you like this recipe as much as I do!
Don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave a comment or tag me on Instagram @carrieskitchen_ if you make it!
More Easy Pasta Dishes:
- Burst Cherry Tomato Pasta
- Salmon Pea Pasta
- Tomato Basil Chicken Pasta
- Chicken & Chorizo Pasta Bake
- One-pot Chorizo Orzo
- Courgette Pasta (Spaghetti alla Nerano)
Prawn and Chorizo Pasta
Ingredients
- 180 grams spaghetti
- 150 grams king prawns or jumbo shrimp raw or cooked
- 100 grams chorizo sliced
- 250 grams cherry tomatoes
- 3 cloves garlic
- small bunch fresh chopped parsley
- 1 tbsp butter or olive oil to cook the prawns
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- If using raw prawns, blot any excess moisture with kitchen paper and lightly season with salt and pepper. Melt the butter in the pan over medium heat then add the prawns. Cook for 1 minute then flip over. Continue to cook for 3-4 minutes until pink and cooked through. Remove the cooked prawns to a plate lined with kitchen paper and set aside.
- Add the sliced chorizo to the hot pan and cook for a minute to release the oil, then add the whole cherry tomatoes and a sprinkle of salt. Stir and allow to cook for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to boil and cook the spaghetti according to packet instructions. Reserve a cup of cooking water before draining.
- The tomatoes should be soft and blistering, releasing their juices into the pan. Use the back of a spoon a gently squash them. Stir in the garlic.
- After a minute, when the garlic is fragrant, add 3-4 tablespoons of pasta cooking water into the pan along with the cooked spaghetti.
- Use tongs to toss everything together – the cooking water should help to create a light sauce coating the pasta. Add more cooking water if desired.
- Stir in the prawns and chopped herbs and add extra salt and pepper to taste if needed. Serve immediately with extra chopped herbs to garnish.
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