Description
A rich and flavorful creamy chicken and chorizo pasta combining tender chicken thighs, spicy Spanish chorizo, and a luscious Parmesan cream sauce with baby spinach and a hint of lemon.
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 the pasta: Boil the pasta according to package instructions, undercooking by one minute to allow it to finish cooking in the sauce. Reserve one cup of pasta water before draining.
- Prepare the chicken: Dry the chicken thighs with paper towels, season both sides with salt and pepper, and lightly dust with flour if using.
- Cook the chicken: Heat 1 tablespoon of 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 quickly. Flip and cook for an additional 5 minutes or until cooked through. Set aside loosely wrapped in aluminum 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 too brown.
- Add garlic: Add minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Add tomato paste and paprika: Stir in tomato paste and paprika, cooking for 2 minutes to build flavor.
- Incorporate cream: Pour in heavy cream and stir well. Bring to a gentle simmer, lowering heat to prevent boiling.
- Add pasta water: Mix in ⅓ cup reserved pasta water and maintain gentle simmer.
- Add Parmesan cheese: Push chorizo to one side and gradually add Parmesan in 2-3 portions, mixing and melting each addition before the next.
- Add lemon juice: Whisk in lemon juice quickly to combine.
- Combine pasta and spinach: Add cooked pasta and baby spinach to the sauce, stirring and letting it bubble gently for 1 to 2 minutes to thicken sauce and wilt spinach. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Notes
- Chicken: Boneless skinless thighs stay juicier; chicken breast can be used with adjusted cooking. You may slice or shred cooked chicken into the sauce if preferred.
- Flour: Light dusting helps create a golden crust but is optional.
- Chorizo: Use cured Spanish chorizo (firm sausage), not fresh Mexican chorizo, for best flavor and fat rendering.
- Lemon: To avoid curdling, add lemon juice at low heat and whisk quickly; adding it last with pasta also helps.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 650 kcal
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 700 mg
- Fat: 40 g
- Saturated Fat: 18 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 18 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 45 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 35 g
- Cholesterol: 120 mg
