Chicken & Chorizo Pasta
Smoky, creamy pasta built for four freezer portions.
- Portions
- 4
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 30 min
- Storage
- Cook from frozen
A creamy tomato pasta with chicken, chorizo, peppers and garlic. No onion.
Storage & reheating
Cook from Frozen
Cool, portion, seal and freeze. Cook or reheat the portion directly from frozen.
Cook from Frozen
Microwave at 800 watts
- 6 minutes first heat
- ↻ Stir thoroughly into the sauce
- 4 minutes second heat
- 2 minutes rest
Check the centre is steaming hot before eating.
Ingredients
- 500 g Chicken breast Cut into 2 cm pieces
- 150 g Cooking chorizo Cut into small cubes
- 320 g Short pasta Penne or fusilli
- 2 piece Peppers Deseeded and cut into strips
- 4 clove Garlic Finely chopped
- 500 g Passata
- 150 g Cream cheese
- 2 tsp Smoked paprika
- 1 tbsp Oil
- 1 tsp Salt For the pasta water
Method
-
Fill a large saucepan three-quarters full with water and add the salt.
Notice: The pasta has room to move without sticking together.
Fix: Use your largest saucepan rather than squeezing the pasta into a small one.
-
Bring the water to a full boil. 8 minutes
Notice: Large bubbles keep breaking across the whole surface.
Fix: A few tiny bubbles around the edge is not boiling yet.
-
Add the pasta and stir it for 10 seconds.
Notice: No pieces are stuck to the bottom or clumped together.
Fix: Stir again after one minute if the pasta starts sticking.
-
Cook the pasta for two minutes less than the packet time. 8 minutes
Notice: It bends easily but still feels slightly firm when bitten.
Fix: It will soften more in the sauce and again when reheated.
-
Scoop out 150 ml of pasta water, then drain the pasta.
Notice: Keep the cloudy pasta water beside the hob.
Fix: Do not rinse the pasta. The starch helps the sauce stick.
-
Heat the oil in a large deep frying pan over medium-high heat. 1 minute
Notice: The oil moves quickly when the pan is tilted.
Fix: If the oil smokes, take the pan off the heat for 30 seconds.
-
Add the chorizo and cook it. 3 minutes
Notice: The edges darken and orange oil spreads across the pan.
Fix: Keep stirring so the small pieces do not catch.
-
Add the chicken and spread it into one layer.
Notice: Most pieces touch the hot pan rather than sitting on each other.
Fix: Use two batches if the pan is crowded.
-
Cook the chicken, stirring twice. 6 minutes
Notice: The outside is white with a few golden edges and no visible pink.
Fix: If liquid pools in the pan, raise the heat and keep the chicken spread out.
-
Add the peppers and cook them. 3 minutes
Notice: The peppers look brighter and start to soften at the edges.
Fix: They should still hold their shape.
-
Add the garlic and smoked paprika and stir continuously. 1 minute
Notice: The garlic smells strong and the paprika coats everything red.
Fix: Do not leave it still; burnt garlic tastes bitter.
-
Pour in the passata and stir the bottom of the pan clean.
Notice: No browned bits remain stuck to the base.
Fix: Those browned bits add flavour when mixed into the sauce.
-
Lower the heat and simmer the sauce. 5 minutes
Notice: Small steady bubbles appear without splashing.
Fix: Turn the heat down if the sauce spits.
-
Stir in the cream cheese until the sauce is smooth. 2 minutes
Notice: No white lumps remain.
Fix: Add a splash of pasta water if the sauce becomes too thick.
-
Add the drained pasta and stir until every piece is coated. 2 minutes
Notice: The sauce clings to the pasta instead of sitting underneath it.
Fix: Add pasta water one tablespoon at a time if it looks dry.
-
Divide the pasta evenly between four freezer-safe containers.
Notice: Each container has a similar amount of chicken and sauce.
Fix: Leave the lids loose until the strong steam has stopped, then chill promptly and freeze once cold.