Pasta with chorizo and chicken is a hearty and delicious dinner, loaded with flavor, and ready in just over 30 minutes. Tender white meat chicken, spicy chorizo, spinach, and gluten-free fusilli are bathed in a creamy, cheesy sauce to create the ultimate dinner.
Quick Look: Pasta with Chorizo and Chicken
- ⏱ Prep Time: 15 minutes
- 🔥 Cook Time: 20 minutes
- ⏳ Total Time: 35 minutes
- 🍲 Serving: 12 Bowls
- ⚡ Calories: 509 calories per serving
- 🍂 Flavor Profile: creamy, cheesy and a pop of flavor to complete the meal
- 👌 Difficulty: Easy, a delicious dinner to enjoy with family
SUMMARIZE & SAVE THIS RECIPE ON:
Hearty, easy chicken recipes like this chorizo and chicken pasta or garlic parmesan chicken are great dinner ideas for a hungry family, with leftovers for lunches or another dinner the next day.
I love that because I not only have kids, but I have a super-busy life, so gluten-free main dishes that make less work for me are always welcome. You all know what I'm talking about!
Like my gluten-free pulled pork, this delicious creamy chicken pasta recipe makes a great dinner on the first night and a great lunch the next day. It's also full of bold flavor but not so strong that kids won't eat it. It's a great family meal that almost everyone will enjoy.
Oh, and pro tip. If you pair this chicken chorizo pasta with my Arugula Salad with Pistachios, you'll enjoy a wide variety of flavors that work very well together.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Simple Ingredients: This recipe uses basic ingredients like chicken, pasta, chorizo, chicken broth, and seasonings. There are no specialty ingredients to track down.
- One pan: Once you have boiled the pasta, everything gets made in one pan, even the chicken.
- Hearty and Filling: The chicken breasts, pasta, and rich, creamy sauce with grated parmesan cheese make a hearty, filling meal that leaves even the biggest eaters satisfied.
- Great for Reheating: It's easy to reheat this creamy chorizo and chicken pasta, making it a great way to make a couple of nights' worth of dinner in one skillet.
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Ingredients
I prefer Springer Mountain Farms boneless skinless chicken breasts because of their quality and freshness. They also never use added hormones or antibiotics, and they're certified humane.
I also use Costabile Olive Oil in all my recipes, as well. I love its purity and flavor. Use Code: 15GoldenGK for 15% off.
See the recipe card at the end of the post for a full list of ingredients and their exact quantities.
Flavor Substitutions and Variations
- Chicken: This recipe can be made with chicken breasts or thighs. Think about trying my Grilled Pesto Chicken Recipe for a bit of extra flavor.
- Other Protein: The flavors in this dish work well with pork or shrimp, as well.
- Regular Pasta: If you don't have food restrictions, feel free to use traditional pasta.
- Pasta Shapes: I use fusilli, but any short, textured noodles will work. For example, you could easily use penne pasta instead.
- Spicy: Add red pepper flakes for a spicy kick.
- Dairy Free: Use plant cream or milk and dairy-free cheese to make this recipe dairy-free, as well.
How to Make Pasta with Chorizo and Chicken
Step 1. Pound the chicken to a uniform thickness and season with half the seasonings. Then, sear until cooked through and transfer to a plate. Cook the chorizo and tomato paste with the remaining seasonings in butter until fragrant. Then, add the flour, cream, and broth, mixing until a bubbly creamy sauce forms.
Step 2. Next, add the Parmesan cheese and mozzarella cheese and stir until completely melted. Continue cooking until the sauce reaches your desired thickness.
Step 3. Gently mix in the spinach and cooked pasta. Adjust with one tablespoon of reserved pasta water at a time, if necessary. Finally, serve with sliced chicken breasts on top.
Step 4. Or serve with the sliced chicken mixed in.
Expert Tips
- Reserve ¼ cup of pasta water to thin out the sauce if necessary. This natural starch from the pasta water will help keep the sauce from thinning too much as you adjust it.
- Only pound the chicken enough to thin it out to a uniform thickness. Focus on thinning out the thickest part of the breast. You're not making cutlets!
- To easily pound the chicken, place it between two pieces of parchment paper. Then, use the flat side of a mallet. This reduces mess and bacterial spread.
- Always wash your utensils and counters thoroughly after working with raw chicken.
- Be sure you only cook your pasta to al dente so it doesn't break apart when you stir it into the dish.
- Be sure the skillet is nice and hot so the chicken sears quickly, giving it a good color.
Pasta with Chorizo and Chicken FAQ
Quality gluten-free pasta is almost indiscernible from regular pasta. Most people don't even notice.
If you don't sear your chicken on high enough heat, it will cook too much while getting color. Then, when you finish cooking it, it will overcook, becoming tough.
Al dente pasta should be tender but still a bit firm. It should have just a bit of chew when you bite into it.
Pasta water helps thin the sauce without reducing its ability to cling to the pasta. This is thanks to the natural starch found in the pasta water.
More Delicious Chicken Recipes
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📖 Recipe
Pasta with Chorizo and Chicken
Video
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon Costabile olive oil
- 1 ½ lbs Springer Mountain Farms Chicken Breasts
- 3 small chorizo links
- 2 tablespoon OliveNation sweet smoked paprika
- 1 tablespoon OliveNation garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon garlic and herb seasoning
- 3 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups diced spinach
- 12 oz gluten-free fusilli
- 4 tablespoon butter
- ½ cup chicken broth
- 2 tablespoon gluten-free flour
- 3 cups heavy cream
- 6 oz shredded parmesan
- 6 oz mozzarella
- ¼ cup pasta water
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to the package directions for al dente. Drain and set aside, reserving ¼ cup of the pasta water.
- Place all the seasonings in a small bowl and mix well. Then, divide it evenly into two portions.
- Remove the casing from the chorizo and dice it into small cubes.
- Pound the chicken down to thin it out slightly, then season it on both sides with half of the seasoning.
- Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Then, sear the chicken for 5 minutes on each side. Once the chicken is seared, flip the breasts again and turn the heat to medium-low. Place a lid on the pan and cook the chicken for an additional 10 to 12 minutes.
- Remove the chicken breasts when their internal temperature reaches 165 degrees and place them onto a cutting board.
- Melt butter in the same pan and add the chorizo and tomato paste along with the other half of the seasoning. Stir well and simmer for 1 minute.
- Add the flour to the pan and stir well, scraping the bottom of the pan.
- Add the chicken broth and heavy cream, whisking until a smooth and creamy sauce has formed.
- Add the parmesan and mozzarella cheese and stir until completely melted. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until it reaches your desired thickness.
- Add the diced spinach, then pour in the pasta and toss well to coat evenly.
- Add pasta water 1 tablespoon at a time to thin out the sauce if necessary.
- Slice the chicken breasts and add them to the pasta. Stir carefully and enjoy!
Notes
- Refrigerate for up to 3 days in an airtight container.
- Because this is a cream-based sauce, freezing is not recommended.
- Reheat the entire dish in a large saucepan over medium-low heat until warmed through.
- Reserve ¼ cup of pasta water to thin out the sauce if necessary. This natural starch from the pasta water will help keep the sauce from thinning too much as you adjust it.
- Only pound the chicken enough to thin it out to a uniform thickness. Focus on thinning out the thickest part of the breast. You're not making cutlets!
- To easily pound the chicken, place it between two pieces of parchment paper. Then, use the flat side of a mallet. This reduces mess and bacterial spread.
- Always wash your utensils and counters thoroughly after working with raw chicken.
- Be sure you only cook your pasta to al dente so it doesn't break apart when you stir it into the dish.
- Be sure the skillet is nice and hot so the chicken sears quickly, giving it a good color.
- Cook the noodles to al dente and rinse them with cold water after draining them to stop the cooking process. This ensures firm yet soft noodles that won't break apart when mixed into the sauce.
- For food safety, check your chicken with a meat thermometer. When it registers 165 degrees in the thickest part of the breast, it's done.
Swathi says
Pasta with chorizo and chicken is delicious I tried this my family love it.
Michelle says
I can’t find sweet smoked paprika. Can I used just paprika?
NKendrick says
Absolutely you can!
JC says
Oh my word -- this was so decadent and delicious. We loved it!
Liz says
So delicious!! The chorizo added fabulous flavor and we loved the saucy pasta, too!
Courtney says
Can I substitute anything else for the chicken broth?
NKendrick says
You can use vegetable broth or water with chicken bullion.
JC says
This was absolutely delicious. I loved the addition of chorizo!
NKendrick says
Thank you so much for sharing!
Genevieve says
Thank you for sharing this recipe, this chicken dish was easy to make and I loved that you used Chorizo too!
Swathi says
Pasta with choizo and chicken is so yummy. That chorizo added little kick to the whole pasta dish.
Juyali says
I'm obsessed with this Pasta recipe! The flavors are out of this world. It's rich, satisfying, and perfect for sharing (or not sharing!) 😉
Pure comfort food with a smoky kick from the paprika. It's also great for meal planning. Thanks for the delish recipe.
Oscar says
Loved this Pasta with Chorizo and Chicken! It was packed with flavor and the creamy sauce was just perfect. A great hearty dinner.
Joy says
I would love to make this for my family but they are all dairy free. Is it possible to make a dairy free version? If so, are there any good dairy free supplements you would recommend to use instead of the heavy cream and cheese?
NKendrick says
Absolutely, trader Joes has an amazing dairy free cheese and I find that the country crock plant cream works just as good as regular!
Stephen Jonguitud says
It was so yummy and delicious I definitely recommend it to anybody out there who likes chorizo made in a different way loved rhe pasta effect!Thank you so much for the recipe.
Nora says
My family loved this!
Andrea Villegas says
Hey just a quick question about step number 2, when you say all seasonings what exactly do you mix together ? lol my first time cooking a pasta recipe sorry
NKendrick says
Hi! no worries, all of the seasonings would be the following: 2 tbsp OliveNation sweet smoked paprika
1 tbsp OliveNation garlic powder
1 tbsp garlic and herb seasoning
1 tbsp onion powder
1 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp salt
Anonymous says
This worked exactly as written, thanks!
Katherine says
Is this Spanish chorizo or Mexican chorizo??
NKendrick says
I used a spanish chorizo but honestly either would work just fine!
Darryl says
Either could work. Both will give you a different flavor and texture profile
April Nicole says
I used the sliced chorizo (comes packaged like pepperoni) it was great!
NKendrick says
Thank you so much for sharing! Glad you liked it!