Chicken and Chorizo Pasta

featured image for creamy chorizo pasta with chicken pieces in a white bowl.

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Filled with brown bits of chorizo, tender pieces of chicken, and pasta in a rich cream sauce, Chorizo and Chicken Pasta is creamy, spicy, and comforting. It's the perfect fall pasta dish!

Prep Time10

Cook Time25

Total Time35

Course: chicken, dinner, Pasta

Cuisine: American

Servings: servings

Calories: 739kcal

Author: Sarah Baumeister

Ingredients

1 lb. dry pasta like ziti
1 ½ lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. pepper
½ tsp. paprika
½ tsp. garlic powder
2 tbsp. olive oil
6 oz. mexican chorizo
1 yellow onion diced
4 garlic cloves minced
1 red bell pepper diced
1 cup pasta water
1 cup heavy cream
½ cup parmesan cheese
2 tbsp. adobo sauce

Instructions

Cook pasta according to the packaging instructions. Before draining the cooked pasta, reserve 1 cup of pasta water.
Cut chicken into bite-size pieces. Top with blend of salt, pepper, paprika, and garlic powder. Make sure all of the pieces are fully coated.
In a large deep skillet, heat 1 tbsp. oil over medium high heat.
Once hot, add chicken pieces to the pan. Allow to brown well, moving only 1-2 times. Letting the chicken fry up in the oil without constantly moving it will seal in the juices and help to develop a nice brown crust. This should take 5-7 minutes total. Once cooked through, move to a plate to the side.
To the same pan raw chorizo. Brown meat while breaking it up as you go with a spatula.
Once the chorizo is cooked, add remaining 1 tbsp. of oil, add garlic, onions, and bell pepper all which has been diced finely. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes until softened and fragrant.
Add reserved pasta water from the cooked pasta to the pan to glaze, gently scraping up any bits of flavor that have attached to the bottom of the pan.
Add adobo sauce, heavy cream and parmesan cheese and stir to combine. Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes to thicken slightly.
Add cooked pasta, cooked chicken pieces, and chopped fresh basil to the pan and stir to coat everything well in the smoky chorizo cream sauce. Serve immediately.

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