Creamy Tomato Chicken and Chorizo Pasta (2024)

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Updated: Oct 19th 2023 • Published: Sep 20th 2019 • 48 Comments

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4.59 from 203 votes

This Easy Creamy Tomato Chicken and Chorizo Pasta takes under 30 minutes to cook! And is sure to be a hit with the whole family.

With juicy chicken and flavor-packed chorizo sausage, this creamy pasta recipe has so much flavor whilst still delivering a creamy and comforting yet simple dinner.

We like this with penne pasta, but you can use any pasta shape you like here. Serve it with some garlic bread, a side salad and dinner is done!

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Creamy Tomato Chicken and Chorizo Pasta (1)

We do love pasta! And this Creamy Tomato Chicken and Chorizo Pasta is a family favorite! Mostly because it is packed full of flavor!!! The key is a good Chorizo sausage. It adds so much to the simple sauce!!

A delicious family dinner, that cooks in under 30 minutes and is guaranteed to be enjoyed by even the pickiest eaters.

The base of the sauce is a simple can of tomatoes, this is layered with flavor from some bell peppers, onions, and Italian herbs.

If you have it, a little hint of smoked paprika helps to enhance the smoky chorizo and some sugar balances the acidity of the tomatoes.

Creamy Tomato Chicken and Chorizo Pasta (2)

Ingredient Notes

These notes are there to help make this recipe a success, it covers some but not all ingredients, for a full ingredient list, check out the recipe card below.

Chorizo: There are two types of chorizo - Mexican and Spanish. Both will work in this dish. I usually make this dish with the firm cured Spanish chorizo, you'll find it with the pre-packed hams and lunch meat. But if you can only find the soft Mexican sausage kind then go ahead and use that in this dish, it will work well too!
Bell Peppers: You can use any color of peppers (capsic*ms) you like here. We prefer the sweeter red and yellow varieties. But add green if you like.
Onions: You can use red, white or brown onions for this dish.
Canned Tomatoes: For this sauce it is best to use crushed or chopped tomatoes. They meld into a sauce better than the whole tomatoes. If you have canned peeled whole tomatoes then crush them with your hands before you add them to the pan.
Sugar: you can use brown, white or castor sugar.
Salt: Please salt your pasta water well. But for the sauce, taste it before you add any salt, chorizo sausage varies in salt content so yours could be more/less salty than mine.
Cream: I use a heavy cream/whipping cream/thickened cream here as I don't want the acidity of the tomatoes to split the cream. You can replace it with half and half or milk but there is a chance that your sauce will look slightly split. This won't affect the taste but it will affect the appearance and thickness.
Pasta: We use penne but rigatoni, spirals, ziti, spaghetti or linguine will work. Just use whatever is in the cupboard.

Creamy Tomato Chicken and Chorizo Pasta (3)

Recipe Tips

We've tested this recipe at least 3 times to ensure it works well for you, have a look at our tips for getting the best dish you can!

Depending on what type of chorizo you buy can either slice or crumble the chorizo. Both work fine.
Don't drain the oil that comes out of the chorizo, it helps to cook the vegetables and also adds flavor to the dish.
If you don't have an electric kettle, put the pasta water on to boil when you start making the sauce, as it will take a while to come to a boil.
Before you drain the pasta, reserve a cup of the cooking water. This can be used to thin the sauce if it gets too thick, without diluting the flavor.
The chicken is browned first, but it doesn't need to be cooked through as it will cook for another 10 minutes in the sauce.

Creamy Tomato Chicken and Chorizo Pasta (4)

Recipe Adaptions/Substitutions

These are all just suggestions and things that have worked in our test kitchen, but it is your dinner, so adapt it to suit your family. That is the beauty of cooking; we can all create our own delicious meals.

Swap the meat: You can swap the chicken breast for chicken thighs, or for cubes of beef or pork tenderloin. They can be cooked in the same way as the chicken. Or try adding shrimp, these can be panfried in the chorizo oil and then removed from the pan and added back in when you add in the cream.
Extra veg: Feel free to add to the veg or mix up what you add in. Hard vegetables like carrots and celery can be added with the onion. Softer vegetables like broccoli, mushrooms, peas or corn work well and can added 5 minutes before the sauce is cooked.
Spice it up: Add some red pepper flakes or chopped chili to give the pasta a kick.
Turn it into a bake by adding some cheese and breadcrumbs to the top and broiling it for 5 minutes.
The sauce is delicious over rice, so leave out the pasta and cook some white or brown rice instead.

Creamy Tomato Chicken and Chorizo Pasta (5)

Serving Suggestions

Sides:As with nearly all the pasta recipes on my site (there are over 100!), I generally serve pasta with some sort of bread and a side salad.I may occasionally add a side of garlic green beans or roasted broccoli.

Wine:The smoky chorizo works well with a Rioja, which normally can't stand up to the acidity of tomatoes, but because they are mellowed by the addition of the cream, the rioja is well balanced here. Or a light Zinfandel.
Alternatively, add a Chenin Blanc, which is rich enough to carry the sauce, but fresh enough to balance the smoky notes. Interestingly a dry cider works too!

Creamy Tomato Chicken and Chorizo Pasta (6)

Enjoy x

For other great pasta recipes why not try:

Creamy Bacon Pasta
Shrimp and Scallop Pasta
Easy Garlic Bacon Pasta
Mediterranean Roasted Vegetable Pasta
Spaghetti Bolognese
Creamy Pepper Pasta with Steak Strips
See all 100+ pasta recipe

Creamy Tomato Chicken and Chorizo Pasta (7)

If you make this Creamy Tomato Chicken Chorizo Pasta, don't forget to come back and comment. You can also tag me on social media.

Any questions about the recipe? Use the comments section below.

Get the Recipe

Creamy Tomato Chicken and Chorizo Pasta Recipe

Claire | Sprinkle and Sprouts

This Easy Creamy Tomato Chicken and Chorizo Pasta takes under 30 minutes to cook! And is sure to be a hit with the whole family. With juicy chicken and flavor-packed chorizo sausage, this creamy pasta recipe has so much flavor whilst still delivering a creamy and comforting yet simple dinner. We like this as a chicken penne dish, but you can use any pasta shape you like here. Serve it with some garlic bread and a side salad and dinner is done!

4.59 from 203 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Course Main

Cuisine Italian

Servings 4

Calories 602 kcal

Ingredients

5.5 oz chorizo - see note 1
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 red bell peppers, chopped - see note 2
1 yellow bell pepper, chopped - see note 2
2 chicken breasts, cubed
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 can chopped tomatoes (14oz/400g)
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon smoked paprika - optional
14 oz pasta - see note 3
1 tablespoon salt
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup fresh spinach

To serve

parmesan
flat-leaf parsley

Instructions

Slice or crumble the chorizo.
5.5 oz chorizo
Heat the olive oil in large frying pan over high heat, add the chorizo and cook for 2 minutes.
1 tablespoon olive oil
Add the chopped onion and peppers and cook for another 2–3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
1 onion, chopped
1 red bell peppers, chopped
1 yellow bell pepper, chopped
Add the chicken to the pan and stir around in the oil for 1-2 minutes until lightly golden. Add in the garlic and stir together until aromatic (less than 1 minute)
2 chicken breasts, cubed
4 cloves garlic, crushed
Add the chopped tomatoes, Italian seasoning, sugar, salt, and smoked paprika (if using).
See Also
Creamy Basil and Garlic Pasta with Prosciutto and Burrata — Inspired With A Twist Matcha Coconut Ice Cream Raspberry Lemonade Electrolyte Gummies Easy Tiramisu Mousse
1 can chopped tomatoes (14oz/400g)
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
Bring the sauce to a simmer and then cook gently on the lowest heat while you cook the pasta.
Bring a large pan of water to a boil. Add the salt. Then add the pasta.
1 tablespoon salt
14 oz pasta
Cook the pasta as per the packet instructions. Then reserve a cup of the pasta cooking liquid and drain the pasta.
Add the pasta to the tomato sauce mixture and pour in the heavy cream. Turn the heat to medium.
1 cup heavy cream
Stir everything together until well coated, thinning the sauce with pasta water as needed.
Stir through the fresh spinach and allow to wilt. Serve immediately with parmesan and chopped parsley.
1 cup fresh spinach
parmesan
flat-leaf parsley

Notes

I usually make this dish with the firm cured Spanish chorizo, have a lookout for it at the grocery store, you'll find it with the prepacked hams and lunch meat. But if you can only find the soft Mexican sausage kind then go ahead and use that in this dish, it will work well too!
You can use any color of peppers (capsic*ms) you like here. We prefer the sweeter red and yellow varieties. But add green if you like.
You can use any pasta shape that your family likes here. Penne, rigatoni, spiralli, ziti, and pasta shells work well. Or pick a long pasta like spaghetti or linguine.

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Nutrition

Nutrition is per serving

For more great recipes follow me on PinterestFollow @sprinklessprout

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Reader Interactions

Comments

M says
October 08, 2023 at 6:34 pm

No idea why it isn't recommended to do the sauce first and puree. The meal has a first year out of home vibe about it. I'd recommend letting the chicken sit in lemon first to soften and cook the sauce first. Once the sauce (remove chirzo) is done, puree it so it's a creamy texture. Then cook chicken and add the chorizo back in. Also smoked paprika amount is dependent on the type of chorizo you get given it has paprika in it. I needed to add a fair amount.
Reply
- Claire | Sprinkles and Sprouts says
  October 08, 2023 at 8:45 pm
  
  You do you.
  Cooking is all about making a dinner that our families and ourselves love.
  By all means puree the sauce, we prefer the chunks of onion and pepper, and the cream adds a lovey creamy finish. (this is why it isn't 'recommended' to dirty two more items by pureeing)
  I add sugar to remove acidity from the tomatoes, as that is what my kids and I love so I would never want to soak our chicken in lemon juice. But again, it is your dinner and as I always say, adapt the recipe to suit your tastes.
  As for being a 'first year out of home' meal, I don't see that as a bad thing, I loved cooking when I left home, recipes that I came up with then are still firm favourites today, and many of them are on the blog. I LOVE entertaining and spending my day preparing fancy food for a weekend meal with friends, but midweek when I have worked all day and the kids need dinner in between homework and extra curricular activities, I prefer easy meals that deliver on taste.
  But it is your dinner and I am happy that you can take my recipe and adapt it to make something you love.
  Cx
  Reply
EmerOShea says
July 31, 2022 at 3:08 am

Great recipe - truly well done
Reply
- Claire McEwen says
  August 05, 2022 at 1:51 pm
  
  Thank you 🙂
  Cx
  Reply
Lorna says
December 23, 2021 at 4:20 pm

I loved this, so tasty 😋 I’m not keen on smoked paprika so used just paprika, and didn’t have cream so replaced with creme fraiche. Easy to scale down for just one portion - I wish I’d made 2 so I had some for tonight. However, had I done that I think there was a great danger of me scoffing both portions last night, I enjoyed it so much 😁
Thank you for a lovely recipe.
Reply
Sheelagh says
November 03, 2021 at 1:07 am

Tried this tonight it turned out well ,followed the recipe but with a wee bit less pasta !!
Delish just with a side salad ,as it’s midweek no wine but believe it would be a winner with a nice red wine ,salad and crispy bread at the weekend 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🍷
Reply
[emailprotected] says
October 28, 2021 at 4:52 am

Lovely recipe really enjoyed making it as well as eating it! Added a pinch of dried chilli flakes which gave it a nice little kick
Reply
Jenny says
October 16, 2021 at 2:05 am

Thank you for sharing this recipe, we loved it..... I didn't have spinach so I added kale so tasty.
Reply
Jamie says
September 20, 2021 at 1:08 pm

This is my kind of meal! I love how it's fast and easy to make and also filling! The chorizo adds so much flavor. Delicious!
Reply
Adriana says
September 19, 2021 at 2:42 pm

A delightful way to enjoy a pasta, the chorizo makes it so flavorful and a complete meal. I served mine with a salad and everyone at home loved it.
Reply
Julia says
September 19, 2021 at 12:34 pm

Really love how easy this was too cook up. We rarely meal prep our dinners and sometimes after a 10 hour work day I'm way too lazy to cook up a meal that might feel like it takes too much effort. Under 30 minutes and has my favorite spicy chorizo? I'm down!
Reply
Jenny says
September 18, 2021 at 10:09 pm

This creamy tomato chicken is calling my name. Can't wait to make it.! It looks like the perfect comfort food and so delicious. Thanks so much for sharing it.
Reply
See Also
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Colleen says
September 17, 2021 at 6:26 am

This pasta was a big hit. Everyone loved it and I will be making this recipe again. Thanks for sharing.
Reply
Shelby says
September 16, 2021 at 6:37 pm

I love all the flavors in this recipe. I don't use chorizo often but my son happens to be visiting home for the first time in 2 years and he loves it so I made sure to have some on hand to make for him. This recipe is a winner!
Reply
Linda says
September 16, 2021 at 2:22 pm

What delicious pasta! Love the sauce so much especially when it has chorizo
Reply
Heather says
September 16, 2021 at 4:26 am

Chicken AND chorizo? Yes please! This sounds so amazingly hearty and easy. I'm adding this to my weekly meal plan right now!
Reply
Allyssa says
September 15, 2021 at 7:01 pm

Thanks a lot for sharing this amazing and super easy to make chicken chorizo pasta recipe! Will surely have this again! Highly recommended!
Reply
veenaazmanov says
September 15, 2021 at 11:29 am

Definitely a delicious and Happy Meal option for my family. Pasta is their all time favorite and this is so rich and creamy and flavorful.
Reply
Colleen says
September 15, 2021 at 1:04 am

The whole family loved this and I will be making it again. Thanks for sharing this delicious pasta recipe!
Reply
Adrienne says
May 02, 2021 at 1:39 am

Absolutely love this recipe, I added mushrooms and some chilli but it’s defo a favourite in this house
Reply
Niamh says
February 11, 2021 at 3:50 am

Delicious....we all had clean plates. A big hit with the kids.
Reply
- Claire McEwen says
  February 23, 2021 at 9:02 am
  
  Oh I am so pleased!!
  Empty plates when feeding the kids always makes me smile 🙂
  Cx
  Reply
Peter McCormack says
January 11, 2021 at 12:57 pm

I substituted chicken breast for chicken thighs which I feel have much more flavour, added the Smokey paprika which is a must place added some smoked chilli flakes which added a touch of spicyness to the dish but I did use light cream sparingly as my partner doesn’t like heavy cream. Great dish, thanks for sharing. Cheers
Reply
Judith says
December 16, 2020 at 6:18 pm

We all loved this recipe.
The only slight changes I made were to use an extra pepper (as I had a pack of 3) and as we fancied a bit of a kick in the sauce I added a chopped red chilli. My husband even went back for seconds and as chicken isn't his preferred meat that spoke volumes!
Reply
Lauren says
November 26, 2020 at 4:15 am

FANTASTIC!! Our favourite pasta dish for a treat 😁
Reply
Paige says
July 20, 2020 at 7:47 pm

Absolutely amazing!! Smells as good as it tastes. I didn’t use peppers as I don’t like them but it’s still such a good recipe! Definitely will be making again
Reply
- Claire McEwen says
  July 21, 2020 at 3:36 pm
  
  Oh I am so pleased that you enjoyed it and you were able to adapt it to suit your tastes.
  Thank you for taking the time to comment 🙂
  Cx
  Reply
Carole says
June 11, 2020 at 1:33 am

Very nice I tried this to night, my husband enjoyed it ate too much .
I didn’t have Italian spice so I used Harrisa and creme fresh to keep the calories down.
Reply
Veronica says
May 23, 2020 at 10:01 am

I made this and all the ingredients were great but I missed the tang. I added some goat cheese and a little crushed red pepper flakes. Perfect!
Reply
Rianna says
May 14, 2020 at 6:25 am

Tonight I had 3 teenagers at my house tonight. They all thought I was a genius cook! My 2 year old also ate it. My husband ate way to much! I did not use the chicken or bell peppers because I hate chicken in pasta, also did not have any bell peppers.
This was a huge win for me! I did use a lot of extra spinach, because my family hardly eats vegetables. So I sneak them in when I can. Thanks so much!
Reply
- Claire McEwen says
  May 15, 2020 at 5:33 am
  
  Oh I am so pleased everyone enjoyed it 🙂
  If you aren't a fan of chicken but love the chorizo you could try this chorizo pasta as well 🙂 Easy Tomato Chorizo Pasta it is a fav with my kids!!
  I love that you hide extra spinach! I do the same thing!!!!
  Thank you for the lovely comment
  Cx
  Reply
Kim Edwards says
April 15, 2020 at 5:01 am

I modified this recipe a bit to get more veggies in. I did 1 pepper, 1 small yellow squash & 1 small zuchini. My family LOVED this dish. Thank you for sharing.
Reply
- Claire McEwen says
  April 27, 2020 at 2:07 pm
  
  I LOVE the addition of the veggies!
  So happy the family enjoyed it 🙂
  Chorizo anything is always a hit in my house 😉
  Cx
  Reply
Erin says
April 14, 2020 at 6:49 pm

Love love loved this! I didn’t have quite enough capsicum so added a large chilli which gave it the perfect amount of heat. Brilliant recipe paired with fresh pasta 👌
Reply
- Claire McEwen says
  April 27, 2020 at 2:19 pm
  
  Loving the addition of a chilli! That would be perfect with the chorizo!
  So pleased you enjoyed it 🙂
  Cx
  Reply
Karen says
January 22, 2020 at 2:48 am

Just made this for tea....was a big hit..did slightly more than recipe as I had a feeling it would be good enough to take for lunch tomorrow... and it was 😁
Reply
- Claire McEwen says
  January 22, 2020 at 5:51 am
  
  Oh I am so pleased you enjoyed it Karen.
  I LOVE dinners that can be turned into lunch leftovers 😉
  Cx
  Reply
  - Shelley says
    January 28, 2020 at 1:34 am
    
    This certainly is yummy! Have you tried freezing it? Thanks.
    Reply
    - Claire McEwen says
      January 28, 2020 at 4:29 am
      
      Hi Shelley,
      I have frozen it and whilst it wasn't quite as good it still made a great quick lunch (heated up in the microwave)
      I found the pasta absorbed more of the sauce so it was a little softer and there wasn't as much sauce in the bowl.
      But the flavor was still good.
      Hope that helps
      Cx
      Reply
  - Chloe says
    May 18, 2020 at 11:15 pm
    
    This is delicious! Going to keep the leftovers for tomorrow! 😋
    Reply
    - Claire McEwen says
      May 19, 2020 at 5:42 am
      
      Oh I am so pleased you enjoyed it Chloe. Enjoy your leftovers 🙂
      Cx
      Reply
Erin Porter says
December 06, 2019 at 6:06 pm

This was the best! Would love to see 4people eat all this though...so much food .. 4ppl plus at least 3 more meals here!
Reply
- Claire McEwen says
  April 30, 2020 at 5:14 am
  
  We like a lot of pasta I work on 100g per person 🙂
  So pleased you enjoyed it! And at least now there is leftovers 😀 😀
  Cx
  Reply
Ben says
September 24, 2019 at 7:51 pm

That looks awesome. I'm a big fan of chorizo in anything, and when you combine that with pasta and a creamy sauce, I'm definitely all in.
Reply
lisa says
September 22, 2019 at 9:31 pm

Howwonderful....I'msuremyfamilyandfriendswillloveit.Thankyouverymuch
Reply
- Claire McEwen says
  September 23, 2019 at 9:12 am
  
  It is a family favorite in our house Lisa 😀
  Reply
Veronica says
September 21, 2019 at 2:00 am

I made this chorizo pasta for lunch and everyone at work was swarming at my table wanting a bite, it was really a big hit, truly scrumptious!
Reply
- Claire McEwen says
  September 23, 2019 at 9:18 am
  
  Oh those are the best lunches aren't they 😉
  So pleased you enjoyed it Veronica, hope you didn't have to give away too many spoonfuls Cx
  Reply