This chorizo and spinach pasta recipe comes together quickly in a few simple steps, making for the perfect weeknight meal. Using simple ingredients, they come together to make a cozy and flavorful pasta that can be customized in so many ways!
You don’t need anything fancy to make this mouthwatering pasta. It’s easy but flavorful and you can have dinner on the table in under 35 minutes!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- This bright and fresh pasta doesn’t take long to make! The dish itself, not including the time it takes to cut up the shallots and tomatoes, comes together in around 20 to 25 minutes.
- It’s one of those recipes I keep up my sleeve on busy weeknights when I don’t want to make multiple sides to get our veggies, carbs, etc in. Everything I need is in one bowl!
- There are unlimited ways to customize this! You can make so many little changes based on what you have in the fridge.
Ingredients You’ll Need
pasta — I’m using mezza maniche rigate which is essentially rigatoni pasta, but half the length. Feel free to use whatever pasta you have on hand. Sometimes I even mix and match pasta shapes if I have a couple of half used opened boxes in my pantry. You’ll also need to make sure you reserve the salted pasta water.
olive oil — I use olive oil but you can use any cooking oil of your choice.
shallots — I’m using shallots as that’s what I had extra of. If you prefer, you can use a small yellow onion instead.
cherry tomatoes — or grape tomatoes! I love these little bite sized tomatoes for pastas for little bursts of tomato flavor.
garlic — the more garlic, the better.
salt — I always use kosher salt.
chorizo — I’m using pre-cooked Spanish chorizo from Farm Boy. This recipe was inspired by this package of chorizo because I bought it on a whim and needed to use it. This pasta recipe is also amazing if you’re able to get your hands on Mexican chorizo. Mexican chorizo is raw, uncooked, seasoned pork sausage. The texture is similar to ground pork or beef. Simply cook the ground meat for longer in the skillet so it’s cooked through.
half and half — or heavy cream.
spinach — I prefer using baby spinach as they’re more tender and sweeter.
parmesan — I love using parmesan to thicken the sauce. It adds a lovely tangy, sharp nutty flavor.
lemon — finishing the pasta off with some lemon to add some brightness to dish is my favorite thing to do.
How to Make Chorizo and Spinach Pasta
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta under al dente, stirring occasion, according to package instructions. Drain when finished, making sure to reserve at least 1 cup of pasta water.
- Meanwhile, heat a the olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat and add the shallots and cherry tomatoes. Saute for 2 minutes before adding the minced garlic and salt. Saute for another minute.
- Then add the chorizo and saute for around 4 to 5 minutes. If using raw Mexican chorizo, cook for 5 to 6 minutes, breaking up the meat into bite-sized pieces.
- Add the half and half to the skillet along with ¼ cup of salted pasta water.
- Give everything a stir before adding the spinach in batches, making sure to fold the spinach in so they start wilting.
- Transfer everything in the skillet into the pot of pasta and toss until well combined and the spinach finishes cooking.
- Remove the pot from heat and add the parmesan. Stir until the parmesan has melted into the pasta and finish off with a squeeze of fresh lemon before serving. Garnish with additional parmesan if desired.
Recipe Tips and Notes
- Want to add more veggies to this or have some odds and ends from the fridge? Go for it! This pasta is also great with some bell pepper, peas, kale, zucchini, mushrooms, etc. You can also add some fresh basil to this pasta if you have some on hand!
- This pasta is also great if you sub in ground pork, ground beef, or ground sausage.
- Add more parmesan! If you want a thicker coating of sauce, add more pasta to the pasta while it’s still hot.
- Make it spicy with a few pinches of red pepper flakes.
- The pasta water and half and half helps create a silky smooth sauce that evenly coats the pasta. Make sure you’re using salted pasta water and not just regular water. The starch helps the sauce come together.
Make Ahead Tips
- Meal prep: once cooled, store the spinach chorizo pasta in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the fridge.
- Reheat: add a spoonful of water or broth when reheating pasta leftovers in the microwave to keep the pasta from drying out.
Chorizo and Spinach Pasta
Ingredients
- 500 grams rigatoni pasta, and 1 cup reserved pasta water
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 to 4 shallots, diced
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 500 grams spanish chorizo
- ½ cup half and half, or cream
- 2 to 3 cups baby spinach, or more
- ½ cup freshly grated parmesan
- 1 wedge lemon
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta under al dente, stirring occasion, according to package instructions. Drain when finished, making sure to reserve at least 1 cup of pasta water.
- Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat and add the shallots and cherry tomatoes. Saute for 2 minutes before adding the minced garlic and salt. Saute for another minute.
- Then add the chorizo and saute for around 4 to 5 minutes.
- Add the half and half to the skillet along with ¼ cup of salted pasta water.
- Give everything a stir before adding the spinach in batches, making sure to fold the spinach in so they start wilting.
- Transfer everything in the skillet into the pot of pasta and toss until well combined and the spinach finishes cooking.
- Remove the pot from heat and add the parmesan. Stir until the parmesan has melted into the pasta and finish off with a squeeze of fresh lemon before serving. Garnish with additional parmesan if desired.
Notes
- If using raw Mexican chorizo, cook for 5 to 6 minutes, breaking up the meat into bite-sized pieces.
- Add more pasta water and parmesan as needed if you’d prefer a saucier pasta.
Nutrition Per Serving
More Weeknight Pasta Recipes to Try
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