If you are looking for a comforting, restaurant-quality dinner that comes together in under 20 minutes, this Creamy Chorizo Rigatoni is about to become your new weekly obsession.
It is smoky, velvety, and packed with bold flavours. The secret to making this sauce taste like it simmered for hours? A chef’s trick called flavour layering. By frying off the tomato purée and paprika directly in the rendered chorizo oils before adding the double cream, you build an incredible depth of flavour in seconds.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Fast & Foolproof: Ready in the time it takes to boil your pasta.
Minimal Ingredients: Uses simple, high-impact ingredients you can grab at any UK supermarket.
Unbelievably Creamy: Double cream and finely grated Parmesan create a glossy, luxurious sauce that perfectly clings to the rigatoni.
The Ingredients You’ll Need
200g dried rigatoni pasta (or 300g fresh)
120g chorizo sausage, sliced into 0.5cm rounds
½ small red onion, finely diced
2–3 fresh garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons tomato purée
1 teaspoon paprika
180ml double cream
40g Parmesan cheese, very finely grated
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
½ cup fresh Italian parsley, finely chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
Step-by-Step Instructions
1. Cook the Pasta
Boil your rigatoni in salted water according to the package instructions. Top tip: Cook it for 1 minute less than the packet says so it stays al dente—it will finish cooking and absorb the sauce later. Crucial step: Reserve roughly a mug full of pasta water before draining!
2. Crisp the Chorizo
While the pasta boils, heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the sliced chorizo and cook for 3 minutes until lightly golden. You won’t need oil, as the chorizo releases its own delicious, smoky oil.
3. Soften the Aromatics
Add the diced red onion and a big pinch of salt to the pan. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes until the onion softens. Turn the heat down if the onions start to catch or brown. Stir in the minced garlic and cook for just 30 seconds more until fragrant.
4. Layer the Flavours
Add the tomato purée and paprika straight into the pan. Stir it into the chorizo oil and let it cook down for 2 minutes. This darkens the purée and unlocks the rich, smoky profile of the paprika.
5. Build the Creamy Sauce
Pour in the double cream and mix well, bringing it to a very gentle simmer. Turn the heat down if necessary—the sauce should bubble gently, never boil. Stir in about 80ml (⅓ cup) of your reserved pasta water.
6. Add the Cheese and Acid
Push the chorizo to one side of the pan. Add the grated Parmesan in two separate batches, stirring and letting the first lot melt completely before adding the second. Quickly whisk in the fresh lemon juice to cut through the richness.
7. Toss and Serve
Tip your cooked rigatoni straight into the pan. Toss everything together and let it gently bubble for 1 to 2 minutes so the sauce thickens and coats every single tube of pasta.
Toss the fresh parsley through right before serving, dish it up into a rimmed pasta bowl, and enjoy!
💡 Recipe Pro-Tips:
Don’t skip the pasta water: The starches in the reserved water act as an emulsifier, binding the rich double cream and melted Parmesan into a smooth, glossy sauce rather than a greasy one.
Turn down the heat: Double cream can split if it gets too hot. Keep the pan at a gentle simmer once the dairy goes in.
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