This prawn chorizo pasta recipe is a rich, creamy treat perfect for special occasions. Every bite is loaded with spicy chorizo, plump, tender prawns, al dente pasta, and a rich, creamy tomato sauce seasoned to perfection.
A bowl of rich, creamy pasta is always an easy way to end the day. It's the perfect comfort food to satisfy your tastebuds and your soul after a long day. That's especially true of dishes like seafood pasta dishes like lemon garlic shrimp pasta or Marry Me shrimp pasta. The sauce and the shrimp combine to create a dish that just feels so luxurious.
Lately, I've been loving prawns because they take that flavor and feel to the next level. Their larger size and slightly sweeter flavor bring everything I love about shrimp to a dish and then some. This prawn chorizo pasta is my new favorite recipe for just that reason.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Simple Ingredients: This recipe uses pasta, prawns, chorizo, spices, and just a few other ingredients found in any kitchen or grocery store.
- Easy: This is an easy recipe that only takes about 30 minutes time from start to finish.
- Hearty: The combination of prawns, chorizo, pasta, and a rich, creamy tomato sauce makes this a hearty, satisfying meal.
- Versatile: Using prawns makes this an extra-special weeknight dinner or a dish for a fancier occasion.
Ingredients
Prawns
- Prawns: Prawns add a rich, slightly sweeter flavor than shrimp and cook up so plump and tender.
- Seasoning: A blend of sweet smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, thyme, and black pepper complements the flavor of the prawns.
- Garlic Olive Oil: Garlic olive oil imparts more flavor to the prawns as they cook. I love Costabile olive oil. It's incredibly high quality and so flavorful.
Sauce
- Chorizo: Browned chorizo cooks along with the other sauce ingredients to add a deep, smoky, slightly spicy flavor.
- Seasonings: A blend of minced onion and Italian seasoning adds classic Italian flavor and aromatic notes.
- Tomatoes: Sun-dried tomatoes and tomato paste give the sauce a prominent tomato flavor.
- Fresh Basil: Fresh basil adds a bold pop of flavor.
- Chicken Broth and Heavy Cream: This combination creates a sauce that's the perfect thickness.
- Fresh Spinach: Fresh spinach adds a pop of vibrant color and an earthy, green flavor that's prominent but not overpowering.
- Mozzarella Cheese: Mozzarella cheese thickens the sauce further and adds tons of cheesy goodness.
See the recipe card at the end of the post for a full list of ingredients and their exact amounts.
Flavor Variations
- Spicy: Add red pepper flakes to the sauce for a kick of heat that accentuates the other flavors in the dish.
- Pasta: I used penne pasta, but any short, textured noodle variety will work well.
- Dairy Free: You can use plant butter, cream, and cheese to make a dairy free version of this dish.
- Meat: You can use Italian sausage in place of chorizo. Ground chicken, turkey, or beef would work, as well.
- Mushrooms: Mushrooms have the perfect flavor for a dish like this.
- Prawns: If you can't find prawns - which is highly unlikely - extra-large shrimp will work well.
- Citrus: Add a little lemon juice will give the dish a nice, citrus note and accentuate the other flavors nicely.
Instructions
Pasta
- Boil the pasta according to the package directions for al dente. Drain, rinse, reserving some of the pasta water, and set aside when done.
Prawn
- Combine the prawns and prawn seasonings in a small bowl and stir to coat.
- Cook the prawns in the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat for a couple of minutes per side. Then, transfer them to a bowl.
- Melt the butter in the same pan and add the chorizo and pasta sauce seasonings. Then, cook for about a minute. After that, add the sun-dried tomatoes, tomato paste, basil, and flour and stir until fully combined.
- Add the chicken broth and heavy cream and whisk well until smooth and creamy. Then, add the spinach.
- Add the mozzarella and mix until melted. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until it reaches your desired consistency.
- Add the pasta and toss to coat. Then, add a bit of the reserved pasta water, if necessary, to thin out the sauce.
- Gently stir in the prawns and enjoy!
Expert Tips
- The prawns are done when they're C-shaped. Remove them from the heat immediately to avoid tough prawns.
- Dice the chorizo into small cubes before cooking it to make life easier.
- A good, heavy-bottom skillet is the way to go for this recipe. They hold and distribute heat much more evenly.
- Rinse the pasta in cold water immediately to ensure it stops cooking at the perfect al dente texture.
Pairing Suggestions
This prawn chorizo pasta is a hearty, all-in-one meal, so I recommend keeping the sides light. Try it with a pan-fried squash and zucchini medley or a nice salad.
With a robust dinner like this, I also recommend a lighter dessert, like grape cake or lemon drizzle cake.
FAQ
No, they're not, although many people think they are. Prawns and shrimp might look similar, but they're actually two entirely different species.
Prawn and shrimp taste similar but not the same. Prawns tend to have a slightly sweeter and more prominent flavor than shrimp, that's often described as delicate and savory.
Yes, they are. Although they're a bit more niche than shrimp, prawns are still readily available in the seafood section of most grocery stores.
Perfectly cooked prawns will have an opaque, pinkish color and be C-shaped.
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📖 Recipe
Prawn Chorizo Pasta
Ingredients
Prawns
- 1 lb prawns or extra-large shrimp
- ½ tablespoon sweet smoked paprika
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoon garlic olive oil
Pasta
- 12 oz gluten-free penne pasta
- 4 chorizo links casings removed and diced
- 4 tablespoon butter
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon minced onion
- ½ tablespoon Italian seasoning
- ¼ cup sun-dried tomatoes diced
- 3 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 tablespoon basil fresh; chopped
- 2 tablespoon gluten-free flour
- ½ cup chicken broth
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 cup spinach diced
- 1 ½ cups mozzarella cheese
- ¼ cup reserved pasta water
Instructions
Pasta
- Boil the pasta according to the directions for al dente. Then, drain, rinse, and set aside.
Prawns
- Combine the prawns, sweet smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, thyme, black pepper, and salt in a small bowl and mix until evenly coated.
- In a large skillet, saute the prawns in the garlic olive oil over medium heat for 2 minutes per side. Transfer them to a bowl.
Pasta Sauce
- Melt the butter in the same pan. Then, add the chorizo, salt, minced onion, and Italian seasoning. Saute for 1 minute.
- Add the sun-dried tomatoes and tomato paste and stir to combine.
- Add the fresh basil and flour and stir until combined.
- Add the chicken broth and heavy cream. Then, whisk and cook until creamy.
- Add the spinach and mozzarella cheese and cook, stirring constantly, until the cheese is melted.
- Add the pasta to the sauce and gently stir or toss to coat.
- Add the reserved pasta water one tablespoon at a time to thin out the sauce if necessary.
- Gently mix in the prawns and enjoy.
Notes
- Refrigerate leftovers for up to 3 days in an airtight container.
- Freezing is not recommended due to the cream in the sauce.
- Add the pasta to a saucepan and cook over medium-low until heated through or microwave individual portions at 1-minute intervals.
- When choosing fresh prawns, look for those that are bright and shiny, not dull. If the heads are intact, the eyes should be bright, as well.
- Fresh prawns should smell fresh and briny like the sea. They should never have a fishy aroma.
- Stick to the specified cooking time for your prawns. It only takes a couple of minutes per side to fully cook them.
- If your prawns are C-shaped, they're perfectly cooked. If they're O-shaped, they've been overcooked.
- Check your pasta about two minutes before the specified time on the package to ensure perfectly al dente noodles.
- Al dente noodles should be tender but firm, with just a hint of snap when you bite into them.
Swathi says
Prawn chorizo pasta is delicious I have made it, I enjoyed making it. I am going to make it again.
Tisha says
The flavor is indescribable! Such a great dish, thanks for sharing!
Liz says
My family loved this! So creamy and delicious...and reminded me of paella without all the work!
Nora says
This Prawn Chorizo Pasta is pure indulgence! The spicy chorizo and juicy prawns pair so beautifully with the creamy, flavorful tomato sauce—it feels like a restaurant-quality dish right at home. Perfect for date nights, dinner parties, or whenever you want to treat yourself!