One Pot Creamy Tomato and Chorizo Rigatoni – an indulgent and super-tasty family meal. It’s all finished with lovely chunks of mozzarella, baby spinach and plenty of parmesan.
A quick and easy mid-week dinner, ready in less than 25 mins!
Gotta love one pan pasta meals, both for the lack of washing up, and the speed that you can throw them together!
Most of my one pot dishes involve adding things in a step at a time – until the dish is complete, but I’m going to fess up here. I cook the chorizo first, take it out of the pan, and add it back in at the end.
So yes, that does mean one extra dirty dish.
There’s just no other way to ensure the chorizo is perfectly cooked – you know, a little bit crispy, with lots of flavour.
The problem with frying chorizo and adding it in with the sauce and pasta to continue cooking, is that the salty-spicy flavour leaches out into the rest of the sauce, leaving the chorizo a bit flavourless and chewy.
📋 What do we need?
- Pasta – I use rigatoni, but you can use your favourite pasta shape
- Tinned tomatoes – go for finely chopped tinned tomatoes, as these help to produce a thicker, more luscious sauce. I also add in tomato puree (paste) for extra richness
- Chorizo – I like to use a mild Spanish chorizo ring that I cut into nice chunky slices. However, you can use spicier chorizo, pre-sliced chorizo or even pepperoni.
- Veggies – We have onion, garlic, red peppers, yellow peppers and baby spinach. I also top the dish with chopped fresh cherry tomatoes for extra zingyness.
- Cheese and Cream – yes, it’s got plenty – torn mozzarella, grated parmesan and cream 😍. It’s a rich dish. You can use less and/or low-half fat cheese if you prefer.
- Stock – this adds a bit of extra flavour, as well as extra liquid to cook the pasta.
📺 Watch how to make it
Full recipe with detailed steps in the recipe card at the end of this post.
👩🍳PRO TIP Be sure to push the pasta under the liquid whilst it’s simmering, so the pasta is evenly cooked.
Sprinkle with extra parmesan, a little black pepper and some fresh parsley before serving.
🍽️ What to serve it with
- A lovely simple green salad
- Simple garlic bread
- Some easy Dutch oven bread to dunk in the sauce
I love the addition of fresh tomatoes to this dish. I add them just before serving. My kids don’t really like cooked whole/halved tomatoes, but they love them raw, so this always goes down a treat.
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One Pot Creamy Tomato and Chorizo Rigatoni
Ingredients
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 200 g (7 oz) chorizo sliced
- 1 small onion peeled and finely chopped
- pinch salt and pepper
- 1 red bell pepper de-seeded and sliced
- 1 yellow bell pepper de-seeded and sliced
- 3 cloves garlic peeled and minced
- 250 g (8.8 oz) dried rigatoni pasta
- 480 ml (2 cups) chicken or vegetable stock
- 400 g (14 oz) tin of finely chopped tomatoes
- 1 heaped tbsp tomato puree paste for US
- 120 ml (1/2 cup) double (heavy) cream
- 75 g (2 1/2 packed cups) baby spinach leaves
- 150 g (5.3 oz) mozzarella chopped/torn into small chunks
- 75 g (3/4 cup) grated parmesan cheese
- 10 cherry/grape tomatoes sliced in half, I used a mixture of different colour tomatoes
To Serve:
- pinch black pepper
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
- 2 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large frying pan (skillet) over a medium heat. Add the chorizo and cook for 1-2 minutes on each side until lightly browned and crisp. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon, place in a bowl and cover.1 tsp olive oil, 200 g (7 oz) chorizo
- Add the chopped onions to the pan and cook for 5 minutes, stirring often, until softened.1 small onion
- Add a pinch of salt and pepper, the red and yellow pepper slices, and the garlic. Cook for a further 2 minutes.pinch salt and pepper, 1 red bell pepper, 1 yellow bell pepper, 3 cloves garlic
- Add in the rigatoni, then pour in the stock, tinned tomatoes, and tomato puree. Stir together, pushing the rigatoni under the liquid.250 g (8.8 oz) dried rigatoni pasta, 480 ml (2 cups) chicken or vegetable stock, 400 g (14 oz) tin of finely chopped tomatoes, 1 heaped tbsp tomato puree
- Bring to a gentle simmer, then cover the pan with a lid or foil and simmer gently for 10 minutes.
- After 10 minutes, carefully remove the lid and give everything a stir.
- Add the cream, spinach, mozzarella, and parmesan and stir together.120 ml (1/2 cup) double (heavy) cream, 75 g (2 1/2 packed cups) baby spinach leaves, 150 g (5.3 oz) mozzarella, 75 g (3/4 cup) grated parmesan cheese
- Arrange the cooked chorizo on top (to heat through) and cover. Simmer for a further 2-3 minutes until the pasta is cooked through, the spinach wilted and the cheese melted.
- Remove the lid and arrange the chopped tomatoes on top, then sprinkle with black pepper, chopped parsley, and grated parmesan.10 cherry/grape tomatoes, pinch black pepper, 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley, 2 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
- Serve immediately.
Video
Notes
- Swap the pasta for your favourite pasta shape
- Add extra vegetables (or swap existing ones) – mushrooms, green beans and broccoli make great additions.
- Add the mushrooms in at the same time as the peppers
- Add green beans and/or broccoli in about 10 minutes before the end of cooking.
- Add chilli flakes, chilli sauce or sliced fresh chillies in for a spicy kick. Add them in when you add the bell peppers.
- Add chicken if you like more meat. After frying and removing the chorizo from the pan, fry chicken pieces off in the leftover chorizo oil, before adding the onions and continuing on with the recipe.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This post was first creating October 2017. Updated October 2022 – general housekeeping, tips, new recipe video.
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I made this but with a different type of pasta. It was a hit with my kid.
Hi.
I love this recipe- sauce is delicious!
Just wondering if it’s ok to freeze leftovers?
Thanks.
15 year old son nailed this recipe this week. Was probably the best pasta dish ever! We couldn’t stop complimenting him. We doubled thhe recipe so more tonight. mmmmmm What will he chose next?
How long will this keep in the fridge afterwards?
Hi James, If cooled quickly, then covered and refrigerated, it should keep for approx two days in the fridge.
2 days easy.
My son and I love this website!! The recipes are sooo easy to follow, using everyday household ingredients. He is 16 and it is important to me that he learns how to cook for himself before he goes off to Uni.
Thank you
You’re welcome Jackie,
So glad you’re both loving the recipes 🙂
Thanks
Chris & Nicky
Lovely easy family meal, very tasty way of serving pasta for a change.
Thanks Lorraine,
So glad you enjoyed the recipe 🙂
Thanks
Chris & Nicky
Loved it. Had to give the pasta an extra 5minutes to cook through instead of 10minutes give it 15minutes.
Hi to just scale this recipe up to serve 8 doubling everything is fine?
Hi Gabriella,
Yes this recipe should scale fine for 8 servings. You might want to go a little lighter than double the about of cream though.
Thanks
Chris & Nicky
Just tried this today. Skipped out the Bell Peppers, swapped the Rigatoni for Fusilli and since I used a 500g tin of chopped tomatoes, skipped the puree. It’s turned out great! Love the recipe!
PS: I used fresh churizo from the butchers, that I cooked and cut up since the dried meat version is not availible here.
Hi there! Just wanted to offer a point of clarification. This recipe appears to call for Spanish chorizo, which is dried and cured and hence, able to be cut. Mexican chorizo is the more wet variety that is commonly called “chorizo”. They are definitely different and it should be noted that to create the effect in this recipe, you need the Spanish chorizo, not Mexican. You can learn more about the differences here: https://www.thekitchn.com/whats-the-difference-between-mexican-and-spanish-chorizo-word-of-mouth-207326. I’m excited to try this with the Mexican chorizo, though. Thank you!