Prawn and Chorizo Pasta, a fabulous 20-minute meal with a spicy kick. The chorizo and prawns are cooked with garlic, chilly flakes, lemon juice and fresh parsley, then the cooked spaghetti and tossed in to create a posh meal for busy midweeks, or, why not, a dinner date. No need for a sauce, this pasta is delicious simplicity.
It might be December, but, if like me, you want/need a break from all the Christmas cooking and baking, then a nice bowl of pasta is all you need. But not just any boring pasta with a boring store-bought tomato sauce, oh no! This pasta is one fine dish that can rival an expensive meal in a not-so-cheap restaurant.
Or, perhaps you want to impress your family and friends with a special dinner. And special it is! Special enough for a romantic dinner for two as well!
Prawns and chorizo are one nice combo. Cooked on their own, prawns can be pretty bland, at least to my taste buds, so they need some other ingredients to add a bit of flavour.
And I can't think of anything more flavourful than some chorizo slices sizzling in a hot pan with some garlic and chilly flakes. The gorgeous bright red colour coming from the paprika adds a nice touch too, so we don't need to add any sauces at all.
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Ingredients needed
- spaghetti - or any other pasta of your choice. I prefer the long-shaped pasta though for this kind of dish.
- chorizo sausage ring -about 1 cup chorizo slices
- prawns / shrimp - fresh
- dried chilli flakes
- lemon juice
- fresh parsley
- cloves of garlic
- olive oil
Easy swaps
Like with any other dish on my blog, this recipe can be easily tweaked to your own liking. I used dried chilly flakes for this pasta dish, but red chilli peppers also work very well. For extra goodness, you can also add red bell peppers to up the nutritional value, or any other peppers you have.
If you can't handle heat very well, either add less chilli, or just herbs for extra flavour. Italian herbs would work pretty well here, or any other herbs you usually like for pasta. In which case, you might need to add more garlic, for some more flavour.
Any kind of pasta works here, not just spaghetti. Linguini or tagliatelle would be wonderful too. Even orzo, and the cooking method would be the same, there is no difference in cooking time or final result.
Step-by-step photos and instructions
This pasta dish can be prepared in well under 20 minutes, and have it ready for dinner without much effort or preparation. Which makes it ideal when time is tight and you'd rather not complicate yourself with difficult dishes.
- cook the spaghetti according to the packet instructions
- in a large frying pan, heat up the olive oil, add the sliced chorizo and quickly fry for about 1-2 minutes on each side
- add the garlic and chilly flakes and cook for a further 30 seconds
Note! Since the pan is hot, the chilly flakes will heat up quickly and release not only fragrance, but also a bit of spiciness, so we need to have all the ingredients ready before starting to cook the dish. The quicker we work, the better.
- add the prawns/shrimp, and leave to cook for about 2 minutes on each side, or until no longer pink. Do not overcook the prawns, otherwise they become tough and rubbery
- in go the chopped parsley and lemon juice too
- once the spaghetti is cooked, drain the water and toss them in the pan to coat well
- remove from the heat and serve immediately
Expert tips
This dish couldn't be simpler to make. Or more delicious. It cooks quickly and it requires minimal prep.
I used fresh prawns for my recipe, and they required very little cooking, since the pan and the chorizo were already very hot. Do not leave them to cook for any longer once they turn pink, otherwise they will become tough and rubbery.
If you use ready-cooked prawns, add them up once everything is cooked, and just allow them to heat up. There is no need for extra cooking, as that will change their texture.
Other 20-minute pasta dishes
Looking for more pasta dishes that can be prepared in under 20 minutes? How about these fabulous recipes: Easy Bacon Carbonara Pasta Recipe, 20-Minute Creamy Shrimp Alfredo Pasta for Two or Easy Pasta with Shrimp and Spinach.
If you’ve liked my PRAWN AND CHORIZO PASTA or any other recipe on the blog then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you! You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST to see more delicious food and what I’m getting up to.
Prawn and Chorizo Pasta
Ingredients
- ¼ packet spaghetti (125 g)
- ½ chorizo sausage ring (about 1 cup chorizo slices)
- ½ lb prawns / shrimp
- 1 tablespoon dried chilli flakes
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 tablespoon fresh parsley
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
- Cook the spaghetti according to the packet instructions.
- Slice the chorizo, peel and chop the garlic.
- In a large frying pan, heat up the olive oil, add the chorizo slices and fry on both sides for about 1-2 minutes.
- Add the garlic and chilli flakes cook for a further 30 seconds.
- In go the shrimps, leave to cook for about 2 minutes on each side until pink.
- Add the lemon juice and fresh parsley.
- When the spaghetti are cooked, drain the water and add to the pan, tossing well to coat.
- Serve with extra chilli flakes.
Notes
- I used fresh prawns for my recipe, and they required very little cooking, since the pan and the chorizo were already very hot. Do not leave them to cook for any longer once they turn pink, otherwise they will become tough and rubbery.
- If you use ready-cooked prawns, add them up once everything is cooked, and just allow them to heat up. There is no need for extra cooking, as that will change their texture.
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