This one pot spicy sausage pasta is so easy and full of flavour made with chorizo, herbs and chilli flakes. It comes together in a single pot meaning less washing up and dinner can be ready in about 30 minutes!
One pot meals are dinner saviours. When you are short on time, not really sure what to make, or just want something pretty low effort, then a one pot pasta basically means throwing everything in a pot you’re done. Well not quite but it’s pretty close!
In my weekly meal plan I generally have at least one or two pasta dishes. The reason is that I ALWAYS have pasta in my pantry and it is so versatile being a base for so many different flavour combinations.
I have to admit that while a lot of the recipes that I publish on this site are planned and well thought out, this one was born from some hungry bellies, a desire to avoid the grocery shop, and the attitude of let’s throw it in the pot and see what happens.
My husband took the lead on creating the first version of this dish and after licking the bowl clean I exclaimed that we just had to make that again! Then came the reverse engineering of what exactly was used in that first version, but the result that I am sharing today is so delicious that I ate several forkfuls while shooting the photos for this post. I just couldn’t help it.
This recipe cooks the pasta in the pot alongside the other ingredients rather than having to boil it first which is a huge time saver. Plus the starchy water helps to make the sauce super thick and creamy and delicious.
One thing that always gets me about a one pot pasta recipe is just how much additional flavour the pasta inherits by cooking in stock alongside all the other flavour components. It’s just not something you can achieve when you cook your pasta and sauce separately.
This version of the one pot pasta uses chorizo sausages for extra flavour (but you could sub with any sausages you have available), has a rich tomato based sauce thanks to the tomato paste and tomato puree, and is finished off with some herbs, chilli flakes and a little bit of fresh parmasen to give it that extra creaminess but adding this is totally optional if you want it to remain dairy-free.
For the pasta you will want to use something small so that it cooks quickly. My new found favourite pasta shape is casarecce which are short twists of pasta, appearing rolled up on themselves which makes for perfect little nooks for sauce to grab hold. Spirals, elbows, or shells would also work well for this dish, but my favourite type as usual is the one that you have in your pantry already!
The best thing about this recipe is that it’s pretty forgiving so as long as you don’t change the ratios, play around with the flavours you add. Adjust the chilli quantity to your tastes or omit it completely if you’re looking for something more family friendly. Use whatever combo of herbs you have on hand and if you don’t have tomato puree, a can of tomatoes would work just fine although the texture will be less creamy and more chunky.
The pot you use to make this pasta is everything. You want to use a medium sized, heavy based pot with a lid. My favourite is a cast iron one that I picked up from Ikea, it is just the right size for this and is fantastic for ensuring even heat distribution.
If you need something quick to pull together for dinner using mostly ingredients you have already, then this one pot pasta is a great option. It comes together in just over 30 minutes making it a perfect option for busy weeknights. Plus any leftovers make a delicious lunch the next day!
You really can’t go wrong with a one pot dinner!
If you do make this recipe, please be sure to leave a comment and rating below! And tag any of your creations on Instagram with #eightforestlane as I would love to see.
One Pot Spicy Sausage Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 red onion diced
- 2-3 cloves garlic crushed
- 450 grams chorizo sausages cut into 1 inch pieces
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon chili flakes
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 1 ½ cups tomato puree (passata)
- 320 grams dried pasta (I used casarecce)
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese optional
- chopped parsley to garnish
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a heavy based pot on high heat and add chopped sausages, onion and garlic. Saute for 5-7 minutes until the sausages are brown and the onions are soft.
- Add tomato paste and stir through. Cook for an additional minute until the tomato paste is fragrant and starting to darken in colour.
- Turn down the heat to medium/low and add in the spices and salt and pepper, followed by the stock and the tomato puree. Finally stir through the dried pasta and put the lid on.
- Cook for approximately 15 minutes, stirring occasionally so the pasta doesn’t stick, or until the pasta is cooked through. Cooking time will be dependent on the type of pasta you use.
- Remove the lid and finish cooking for a few minutes to thicken the sauce. Take off the heat and stir through the parmesan and parsley if using and serve.
Notes
More pasta recipes:
Lentil Bolognese
20 Minute Bow Tie Pasta
Mushroom Tagliatelle with Olive Oil and Garlic
Vegan Mac and Cheese
Charlie Chan Pasta: A Filipino Spaghetti
Save it for later:
Nina says
I tried this recipe tonight and it turned out wonderful! Maybe it was the pasta I used but I ended up needing to put more water to cook the pasta through but you’re right. The flavor definitely comes through better when you cook the pasta in the sauce. Thank you!
Sally says
So glad you enjoyed it!