Spicy Bacon Chorizo Pasta Recipe

Bacon and sausage to me are an absolute treat. There are not many occasions when the house is blessed with their fragrance, but it is a special day when I do cook either. I love bacon and sausage so much. They’re a dynamic duo in breakfast sandwiches, but also perfect for pasta! What I love about these two proteins is that they cook incredibly quickly and they add body and smokiness to the dish.

I was in a hurry one afternoon before my job as a line cook and some of the shifts can be long and grueling. I always prefer to have a filling meal beforehand and this meal has saved my tummy on more than one occasion.

So What Makes This Chorizo Bacon Pasta Recipe So Quick?

Italian diced tomatoes, when I first discovered them, changed my life. Another thing I learned is that due to the process tomatoes go through when they're canned, the pressurization cooks the tomatoes. So these juicy, sweet tomatoes are (almost) ready to eat within a few minutes. Another type of tomato product that falls under the same basket is passata, or strained tomatoes. Passata can be so useful and their multipurpose nature is great in all kinds of cuisines, including Italian.

This is a recipe that you’ll definitely want to make again and again. It’s a perfect go-to meal when you’re short on time and need to get something hearty, hot, and delicious on the table. The most time-consuming part of this recipe is boiling your pasta!

Tools Needed

Ingredients in This Spicy Bacon Pasta Recipe

Penne rigate
Onion
Bacon
Spanish chorizo sausage
Garlic
Tomato paste
Parmesan cheese
Basil
Salt and pepper, to taste

Can I Substitute Regular Bacon with Turkey Bacon?▼

Absolutely! A great alternative to bacon will be low-fat turkey bacon. What we are trying to achieve with the bacon is to add its smokiness and crispness for additional texture.

Same goes for the sausage. You can easily substitute the chorizo sausage with your favorite sausage, chicken, turkey or other vegan options. A sausage that is slightly spicy or has smoked paprika as one of its ingredients could prove to be a close alternative to chorizo sausage to replicate the spice.

How to Cook the Bacon and Chorizo Sausage

Cook the bacon and chorizo first to get it nice and crispy. The chorizo is chopped in a small dice to make it easy to enjoy with the pasta.

Start by adding bacon to a cold pan and setting the heat to medium. As soon as the bacon starts to sizzle, add the chopped chorizo. As the bacon and chorizo cooks, they will release their natural fats. While making the sauce, we will use this to add smokiness and a lot of flavor to our final dish. No extra oil for the sauce!

Raw bacon strips cooking in a stainless steel pan over medium heat.

Bacon strips and diced chorizo cooking in a skillet until crispy and browned.

Cooked crispy bacon strips and diced chorizo pieces on a white paper towel with oil pooling underneath.

Once the bacon and chorizo are crispy, set it aside while we prepare the simple creamy sauce.

Making a Simple Tomato Sauce

When your proteins have finished cooking, it’s time to make the sauce. The beauty of this pasta recipe is that the sauce is prepared in the same pot as the meat!

We use the bacon and chorizo fat that’s naturally rendering while cooking and saute the onions and garlic with a pinch of salt. Then we add tomato paste and diced tomatoes and simmer until the sauce thickens and becomes fragrant. Stir occasionally.

Spices being added to melted bacon and chorizo fat in a stainless steel pan for sauce preparation.

Diced red onions sautéing in bacon and chorizo fat in a stainless steel pan

Diced bacon and ham sautéing in a skillet with tomato paste and spices for pasta sauce

Tomato sauce with diced tomatoes simmering in a pan with rendered bacon and chorizo fat, mid-cooking stage.

To serve, add cooked penne with a splash of the cooking water and simmer for a few minutes. Then, add chopped crispy bacon, chorizo and sprinkle some fresh basil and grated Parmesan cheese to complete your dish!

Penne pasta being added to a bubbling red tomato sauce in a pot during cooking.

Penne pasta coated in rich red tomato sauce simmering in a stainless steel pot.

Spicy bacon and chorizo pasta with sweet potato fries, topped with crispy bacon bits, cheese, and green onions.

What to Serve with This Spicy Bacon Chorizo Pasta?

I would love to have some garlic bread with this dish! The sauce is absolutely incredible, and some garlic bread (maybe even cheesy garlic bread!) would be perfect to scoop up that luscious sauce.

If you’re looking for a lighter side dish, try a simple Arugula and Goat Cheese Salad.

Let me know what you think of this recipe in the comments! If you’ve tried this recipe, be sure to post it on social media and tag it with #cookingwithanadi and mention me @cooking.with.anadi. Thank you!

Recipe by Anadi Misra

Bold and Saucy Spicy Bacon and Chorizo Pasta Recipe

Bold, saucy, and ready in minutes — this spicy bacon and chorizo pasta packs serious flavor into every bite. A quick, satisfying weeknight dinner the whole family will love.

Stovetop

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10 min

Prep

15 min

Cook

25 min

Total

servings

easy

Level

Ingredients

Tap any quantity to scale

(170 g) penne rigateShop →
bacon strips
chorizo sausage
onion(finely diced)
garlic cloves(minced)
(8 g) tomato paste
diced tomatoesShop →
salt(to taste)Shop →
pepper(to taste)Shop →
(25 g) Parmesan cheese
fresh basil(for garnish)Shop →

Instructions

1
Bring water to a boil and add salt. Cook the pasta as per package directions. Drain and set aside, reserving about ½ cup of pasta water.
Bring water to a boil and add salt. Cook the pasta as per package directions. Drain and set aside, reserving about ½ cup of pasta water.
2
While the pasta is cooking, add bacon to a cold pan and turn heat to medium. As the pan heats up, cut the chorizo down the middle and roughly chop to a dice.
While the pasta is cooking, add bacon to a cold pan and turn heat to medium. As the pan heats up, cut the chorizo down the middle and roughly chop to a dice.
3
Once bacon starts to cook, keep turning from time to time to make it crispy (or to your liking). Add the chorizo and cook the bacon and chorizo together. Once crispy, set bacon and chorizo aside for use later.
Once bacon starts to cook, keep turning from time to time to make it crispy (or to your liking). Add the chorizo and cook the bacon and chorizo together. Once crispy, set bacon and chorizo aside for use later.
4
In the same pan add the onions and garlic, pinch of salt and sauté with the rendered bacon and chorizo fat until lightly browned.
In the same pan add the onions and garlic, pinch of salt and sauté with the rendered bacon and chorizo fat until lightly browned.
5
Add the tomato paste and cook for 1-2 minutes. Then add in the diced tomatoes and the salt and let simmer for 5-8 minutes.
Add the tomato paste and cook for 1-2 minutes. Then add in the diced tomatoes and the salt and let simmer for 5-8 minutes.
6
Chop the bacon into smaller pieces. Toss in the penne with the sauce and simmer for 1-2 minutes, adding a splash of pasta water as desired to adjust the consistency.
Chop the bacon into smaller pieces. Toss in the penne with the sauce and simmer for 1-2 minutes, adding a splash of pasta water as desired to adjust the consistency.
Learn the technique
7
Top with fresh basil, crispy bacon bits, chorizo and parmesan cheese. Serve hot and enjoy.
Top with fresh basil, crispy bacon bits, chorizo and parmesan cheese. Serve hot and enjoy.

Nutrition per serving

520

Calories

21g

Protein

71g

Carbs

16g

Fat

Fiber

Sugar

1707mg

Sodium

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Tested & written in Anadi’s kitchen