Ready for a delicious seafood dinner that's ready in just 20 minutes? 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.
When it comes to gluten free pasta recipes, a bowl of something rich and creamy is always a great way to end the day. It's the perfect comfort food to satisfy your taste buds 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 shrimp combine to create a dish that feels incredibly 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.
Pair this hearty, simple prawn chorizo pasta with a light side like this citrus arugula salad and a classic sweet dessert like my pistachio ambrosia salad for a full meal that leaves everyone satisfied.
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.
- Customizable: You can easily tweak this recipe to make it your own.
- Versatile: Using prawns makes this an extra-special weeknight dinner or a dish for a fancier occasion.
Jump to:
Ingredients
Prawns
I use Costabile garlic olive oil to infuse evne more flavor into the prawns as they cook. Use code: 15GOLDENGK for 15% off at Amazon.
See the recipe card at the end of the post for a full list of ingredients and their exact amounts.
Flavor Variations
- Spicy: Add chilli 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 creamy prawn chorizo pasta 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 - use shrimp to make an equally delicoius shrimp chorizo pasta.
- Citrus: Add a little lemon juice will give the dish a nice, citrus note and accentuate the other flavors nicely.
How to Make Prawn Chorizo Pasta
Boil the pasta to al dente and drain, reserving some of the pasta water. Then, toss the prawns sith seasonings in a bowl.
In a large frying pan, cook the prawns in oil over medium heat until opaque.
Add the butter, chorizo, and pasta sauce seasonings to the same skillet and cook until fragrant.
Then, add the sun dried tomatoes, tomato paste, basil, and flour, stir, and cook until blended.
Add the broth and cream and mix well. Then, add the spinach and cheese, cooking until the cheese is melted and the sauce reaches your desired consistency.
Gently stir in the pasta, and add a bit of pasta water if ncecssary to thin out the sauce. Then, 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.
Prawn Chorizo Pasta 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.
📖 Recipe
Prawn Chorizo Pasta
Video
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.
- Rinse the pasta in cold water immediately to ensure it stops cooking at the perfect al dente texture.
- Al dente noodles should be tender but firm, with just a hint of snap when you bite into them.
- A good, heavy-bottom skillet is the way to go for this recipe. They hold and distribute heat much more evenly.
Swathi says
Prawn chorizo pasta is delicious, I have made it twice already. so good, Perfect meal idea.
Jaleah says
This prawn chorizo pasta is amazing! Such a great pasta dish.
Ashley says
This was really amazing--I had gotten some fresh shrimp that needed to be used up and this was the perfect way to show them off!
Krystle says
We love the tomato cream sauce. Tastes just as good as a pasta from a fancy Italian Restaurant.
Ashley says
Delicious, fast recipe that the whole family loved. Will definitely make this again!
Elizabeth says
This pasta was incredible. So much flavor and so easy to make! My family loved it!
Nicole Kendrick says
Thank u so much!!
Jacqueline says
Such a filling and delicious pasta recipe. I love that you pair prawns with chorizo!
Sonja says
Wow, this had So.Much. Flavor! The chorizo really made the creamy sauce sing in this pasta dish. It tasted like I had spend hours perfecting it, yet came together so quickly.
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!