Description
A rich and flavorful Creamy Chicken and Chorizo Pasta featuring tender chicken thighs and spicy Spanish chorizo in a luscious tomato cream sauce with Parmesan and baby spinach.
Ingredients
Scale
Pasta and Chicken
- 200 grams dried pasta
- 1 tablespoon flour (optional)
- 2 boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Sauce
- 120 grams Spanish chorizo sliced into 0.5cm rounds
- ½ small red onion finely diced
- 3 fresh garlic cloves minced
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- 40 grams Parmesan cheese very finely grated
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 handfuls baby spinach leaves
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook Pasta: Boil the pasta according to package instructions, undercooking by one minute to allow it to finish cooking in the sauce. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water, then drain the pasta.
- Prepare Chicken: Dry the chicken thighs with paper towels, season with salt and pepper on both sides, and lightly dust with flour if using.
- Cook Chicken: Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Place chicken thighs smooth side down and cook for 7 minutes, reducing heat if browning too fast. Flip and cook for another 5 minutes or until cooked through. Set aside wrapped loosely in foil.
- Cook Chorizo: In the same pan, cook chorizo slices for 3 to 4 minutes until lightly golden on each side.
- Sauté Onion: Add diced red onion with a pinch of salt and cook for 3 minutes until softened, reducing heat if browning.
- Add Garlic: Stir in minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Add Tomato Paste and Paprika: Add tomato paste and paprika, cooking for 2 minutes to deepen flavors.
- Add Cream: Pour in heavy cream and stir to combine. Bring to a gentle simmer without boiling, adjusting heat as needed.
- Add Pasta Water: Mix in ⅓ cup reserved pasta water and return to gentle simmer.
- Melt Parmesan: Push chorizo to one side and add grated Parmesan in 2-3 batches, stirring and letting each batch melt before adding the next.
- Add Lemon Juice: Whisk in lemon juice quickly to avoid curdling.
- Combine Pasta and Spinach: Add cooked pasta and baby spinach leaves to the sauce. Stir and let bubble gently for 1 to 2 minutes until sauce thickens and spinach wilts. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Notes
- Chicken: Boneless, skinless chicken thighs remain juicier and are forgiving, but chicken breast can be used with appropriate cooking adjustments.
- Flour: Lightly dusting chicken with flour before frying helps create a golden crust but is optional.
- Chorizo: Use cured Spanish chorizo, which is firm and can be sliced, not fresh Mexican chorizo. It adds flavor and fat to the sauce.
- Lemon: To prevent curdling, keep heat low and whisk lemon juice in quickly. Adding lemon last with the pasta is recommended if concerned.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 650 kcal
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 720 mg
- Fat: 38 g
- Saturated Fat: 16 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 18 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 45 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 35 g
- Cholesterol: 130 mg
