Prawn and Chorizo Pasta

Up close photo of Prawn Spaghetti with chorizo, spinach and roasted red bell pepper strips.

Cooking the shrimp in the chorizo's drippings adds an extra layer of wonderful flavor to this Prawn and Chorizo Pasta. All the flavors then marry beautifully with the addittion of garlic, lemon and sherry. This meal is simple enough for a weeknight and special enough for a Holiday.

Course Dinner

Cuisine American

Keyword Prawn and Chorizo Pasta, Prawn Spaghetti, Shrimp and Chorizo Pasta

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 12

Servings servings

Calories 562kcal

Author Heather

Ingredients

1 lb spaghetti noodles *or pasta of choice
2 tbsp olive oil
1 lb Chorizo (either Salami style or Mexican Style) *Mexican Style Chorizo recipe
2 lbs jumbo raw shrimp 16/20 count *peeled and deveined
1 tsp crushed red chili pepper flakes
1 tsp sea salt *or pink himalayan salt
1/2 tbsp lemon zest *about 2 sm lemons or 1 lg
6 cloves garlic *crushed
1/3 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup sherry
16 oz roasted red bell peppers *cut into strips
8 oz baby spinach
garnish with Cotija Cheese

Instructions

If using frozen shrimp, defrost in a colander placed over a large bowl over night or in a bowl of water placed in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours. Peel off outer shell and using a small pairing knife carefully devein. Give each shrimp a final rinsing and place back into a clean colander/bowl to drain of excess water. Refrigerate until needed.
Bring a large pot of water (approximately 5 qts) to a boil for the pasta. Once boiling, heavily salt the water and cook to al dente following instructions on the package.
If using Salami Style Chorizo, cut into bize size pieces (see recipe notes for Mexican Style Chorizo instructions). Heat a lg frying pan over med/high heat. Add oil and salami. Fry on both sides for 2-3 mins until browned and fat has rendered. Remove chorizo from pan using tongs and place pan back on heat.
To the chorizo drippings add cleaned shrimp. Sprinkle in salt and crushed red chili pepper flakes. After 2-3 mins add in garlic and lemon zest and continue cooking for another few mins. Pour in sherry and lemon juice and add in chorizo. Stir well.
Once most of the pink has dissappeared from the shrimp add in spinach and roasted red peppers. Stirring occassionally cook until spinach has wilted, about 3-4 mins.
Toss in noodles and garnish with cheese.

Notes

*Please use as many organic ingredients as possible.

Recipe Notes

This recipe is a quick under 30 mins meal. However, the cleaning of the shrimp is what takes the most time. If cleaning and deveining smaller shrimp allow for extra time.
Cotija cheese is a Mexican cheese that is salty and crumbles well. Use sparingly for anyone who is sensitive to sodium.
Instructions for Mexican Chorizo- Heat a large frying pan over medium/high heat. Add oil and chorizo. Remove from casing and break up sausage with a spatula as it is being cooked. Cook for approximately 5-6 mins and the remove with a slotted spoon leaving the fat drippings in the pan. Proceed cooking the shrimp as written in the recipe.

Nutrition