This pasta dish blends the flavours of Chorizo al vino (Chorizo in wine) with pasta, red pepper, onions, parsley, and garlic—a delicious fusion of Spanish and Italian flavours!
Chorizo al vino is a tapa that cooks chorizo sausages slowly in red wine with a touch of smoked paprika—nothing else. I’ve used the idea and added extra veggies, red bell pepper, onion, and garlic that go perfectly with the chorizo, and served it on pasta. Chorizo Pasta sauce is thickened with cornstarch and tomato paste—a lovely Fusion of Mediterranean dishes for sausage lovers.
Spanish Chorizo Sausage
Authentic Spanish Chorizo isn’t a spicy “hot” sausage, nor a fresh type of sausage. It’s a paprika-flavoured, cured pork sausage that can be softly spicy or sweet, depending on the paprika used. If you want to reproduce the smokey effect with a sweet sausage, add some smoked paprika (Pimenton de la Vera) to the sauce; then you’ll recreate this fantastic smokey note. Be careful with this smoked paprika; it’s pretty powerful, and a single teaspoon does the trick.
Paprika vs Smoked Paprika
Spanish Paprika has two main types: sweet and spicy, and these are dried in the sun. On the other hand, smoked paprika (Pimenton de la Vera) has three types: sweet, sweet and sour, and spicy. It is made with different peppers and dried with burning logs in smoked houses the traditional way. This spice is the caviar of spices for its flavour and colour!
Tapa ‘Chorizo al Vino’
A popular cazuelita tapa in Spain is “Chorizo al vino,” which means chorizo pieces cooked in wine in little clay pots. Usually served with grilled bread, I thought, “Why not turn it into a meal?” The cooked wine, with all the pork juice and smoky paprika notes, makes a perfect sauce for pasta! Here is the link to an authentic tapa recipe of Chorizo al Vino.
Other Chorizo Types
When trying this recipe, be sure to use Spanish chorizo, not the Mexican ‘hot’ sausage. The key difference is that Spanish chorizo is dried and firm, while Mexican chorizo is fresh and soft. Spain offers various types of chorizo based on the region, with the main three being smokey (ahumado), sweet dulce), or mildly spicy (picante), depending on the paprika used. Choose whichever suits your taste, but make sure it’s the Spanish variety!
Other Twisted Spanish Recipes
Chorizo Pasta al Vino
Ingredients
- 200 g pasta (type of your choice)
- 150 g chorizo (cut into slices)
- 100 ml red wine
- 50 ml tomato paste
- 1 red pepper (sliced)
- 1 onion (finely chopped)
- 1 tsp cornstarch (previously mixed in a tablespoon of cold water)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp smoked paprika (Pimenton de la Vera)
- parsley
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Cook the onion with the olive oil, in a saucepan, for a few minutes.
- Add the chorizo sausage and garlic and bring to medium-high heat; cook for 1 minute.
- Add the tomato paste, cook for 2 minutes until the tomato becomes thicker.
- Add the wine, red pepper, and smoked paprika and let reduce, medium-low heat, for 10 minutes.
- Add the cornstarch mix and wait until it thickens the sauce, takes a minute or two.
- Add the fresh parsley and serve on pasta of your choice.
Notes
Nutrition
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