If you want to impress and get a little fancy and sophisticated, then this gorgeous Prawn and Chorizo Pasta is for you!

A fancy plate of pasta

The world of pasta is forever exciting because there are so many innovative ideas just pop out of nowhere. No, I’m not talking about the air fried pasta that went viral last year. My sister, Nara, loved this idea, but instead of trying it out herself, she insisted I made it for us.

Mind you, Nara is such a fabulous cook that she almost burnt our house down by cooking a meat skewer in the microwave. Um, who heats meat skewers in a microwave, anyway? Oh, my sister does!

I adapted this Prawn and Chorizo Pasta recipe from MasterChef Australia’s Andy Allen. When I saw the words ‘chorizo crumb’, it won me over. This has probably been around forever, but it was new to me at the time. I’ve tried Andy’s recipe a few times and found it quite complex and technical to follow, but I thoroughly enjoyed the flavours and the idea of the pasta.

So I’ve put together an easier version of this dish, which is still delicate and flavourful. However, I have to be honest though, this pasta dish involves a few steps and is probably not suitable for a weeknight meal.

Leave this pasta to savour on those special occasions when you want restaurant-quality pasta at home. If you’re looking for a no-fuss prawn pasta recipe, try out GARLIC CHILLI PRAWN PASTA

This Prawn oil and Chorizo Crumb Pasta is olive oil-based with a small amount of red sauce. We infused the oil with prawn heads to get all the beautiful flavours out of it. The crispy chorizo crumb gives the pasta a sophisticated and playful look but also delivers in taste. We toss in some olives, peas, lemon juice and zest, then we take this pasta to another level of yumminess by spicing it up with some of Chef Joey D’s Chilli Crisp.

Supporting local businesses

Chef Joey D directly messaged me through Instagram and asked if I would review his beloved Chilli Crisp. I wrote back advising I’m crazy about spicy food, so I would be happy to review his Chilli Crisp as long as he was open to me writing an honest review for my audience. Unlike some offers I’ve received, Chef Joey was more than accommodating with this. This was already a great sign because Chef Joey showed confidence in his own product!

With offers here and there, I’ve finally agreed to do my first collaboration. So, as promised to my audience, I would fully disclose any products or services offered I’ve received. Chef Joey D sent us two Jars of his Chilli Crisp at no cost to me. This is the only form of payment I’ve received. If you decide to buy a jar of Chef Joey’s Chilli Crisp, it would be at no commission or kickback payments to me.

This is completely fine with me because Chef Joey is from Melbourne and is a fellow Australian, and he’s making some seriously delicious chilli that we should all know about! So I’m more than happy to support his success with no further expectations!

Our Chilli Crisp by Chef Joey D review

My husband, Tomasi, Nara, and I were extremely excited when the jars of Chilli Crisp arrived. We’re all chilli fanatics, so much that hubby would often buy different brands of chilli sauce on Amazon to try out.

As soon as our toddler, Kai, went to bed, we rushed out of our rooms into our kitchen to pop open a jar of ChillI Crisp. The 3 of us waited in anticipation to have a taste with teaspoons in our hands.

The first thing I did was examine the Jar. It was refreshing to see ‘Made in Melbourne’ on the label. These were some ingredients listed: Shallot, Chilli, Garlic, Balsamic Vinegar, Mushroom Soy, Wine, Shrimp Paste, Sugar, Fish Sauce and Oregano. Seriously, you can’t go wrong with this combination! I inhaled the jar and the delicious aroma of beautiful spices filled my senses.

Hubby was the first to try a spoonful of the Chilli Crisp whilst we waited impatiently for him to comment. ‘I love it. It’s bloody tasty stuff!’ he exclaimed, licking his spoon clean.

Nara loves chillies but her heat tolerance is lower than ours. She placed a small amount into her mouth.’Yes, it’s very nice’ she managed to say before having a coughing attack. Hubby offered no sympathy and goes ‘Oh come on you big wuss!’ and this resulted in sis cursing him Yes, our crazy household strikes again.

Anyway, I also loved the Chilli Crisp. For me, it had the right amount of heat. It’s not overwhelmingly hot, but you know it’s there and it has a lovely kick to it. There were delicious little crispy nibbles of savoury and slightly sweet flavours and textures. I would’ve been happy to eat the entire jar. I instantly pictured myself having the chilli with so many things. Seafood, stir-fries, vegetables, tofu, dumplings and, in this case, pasta! Visit Chef Joey D homepage for more details or to place an order.

Prepare in advance before your guests arrive

After following Andy’s recipe for the first time, my kitchen was in total chaos. There were dirty pots and pans everywhere. Although I love challenging myself occasionally, this is definitely not the way I like to cook.

I’m a lazy cook that loves to take shortcuts if it doesn’t affect the overall result of the dish too much. After studying the recipe a few times, I came up with a pasta dish that wasn’t too complex to make but still was a restaurant-quality dish.

Here are some suggestions and tips for prepping in advance. This way, you won’t end up throwing your pasta on the wall out of frustration when you realised your guests are on their way and you’re only halfway through the recipe.

Cook the pasta the day before or earlier in the day. When I worked in a pizzeria restaurant, this is how we prepared our pasta for quick service. We would boil the pasta then rinse it thoroughly in cold water., then we left the pasta to drip dry in a colander. Once mostly dried, we would toss the pasta with a tablespoon of vegetable oil to prevent them from sticking and placed it in a large airtight container in the fridge.

We can also prepare the chorizo crumbs earlier during the day or the day prior. Allow the crumbs to cool completely and store them in an airtight container at room temperature.

Save time by only cooking the prawns once. Chop each prawn into 4 pieces and stir-fry them with the garlic and shallots.

Ingredients for Prawn and Chorizo Pasta

Raw shelled prawns – I used fresh large shelled prawns that weighed approximately 500gm (18oz) in total. Already peeled fresh prawns or defrosted prawns would also work too, but you would only need 300gm (11oz). Devein and clean each prawn before using, but keep their heads.

Chorizo – Mexico and Spain have their own version of chorizos, raw and cured. Cured Spanish chorizo is easier to find here, so I used this variety. In saying that, there is better quality and tasting chorizo in specialised delis. Supermarkets stock cured Spanish chorizo near the chilled bacon area.

Passata (pureed tomatoes) – Passata is pureed tomatoes that have been strained to form a smooth consistency. Supermarkets usually stock passata near canned tomatoes and pasta sauces. Crushed tomatoes would also work.

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French shallots (shallots or eschalots)- It’s so confusing, right? Shallots, green onions, spring onions and other small onions. It also doesn’t help that other countries call the same onions a different name! I’ve seen shallots called ‘eschalots’ or ‘French shallots’ here. Shallots look like small brown onions but are skinny and oval-shaped. They’re difficult to peel and are way more expensive than other types of onions, and they’re mild in flavour compared to onions. Brown onions will work as a substitute, but use half of the amount called for in the recipe.

Chilli Crisp (optional) – I’ve used Chef Joey D’s Chilli Crisp, which took this pasta to another level by adding heat and delicious aromatics (see my detailed review above). If you like to add spice and don’t have chilli oil, add 1 teaspoon of dried chilli flakes or less.

How to make Prawn and Chorizo Pasta

Step-by-step guide with photos

For the chorizo crumbs – Place the chorizo in a food processor and blitz until it resembles minced (ground) meat. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large deep frying pan on medium-high heat, then add in the chorizo. Fry the chorizo for 3 to 5 minutes and stir occasionally until it’s darker, and the fat has rendered. Use a slotted spoon or strainer to remove the chorizo from the pan and onto a plate lined with paper towels. Set aside for later, the chorizo will crisp up as they cool.

Cook the pasta – Cook the pasta as per the instructions on the packet but make sure not to overcook it. The pasta should be a little firm when bitten (al dente). Scoop half a cup of pasta water and set aside, then drain the pasta using a colander. Rinse the pasta with cold water and set it aside in the colander for later.

Heat another 1 tablespoon of oil in the same frying pan on medium-high heat (there’s no need to clean the pan or remove the old oil). Cook the prawns for a minute on each side or until they are opaque and turn orange. Place the prawns on a plate and cover with foil and set aside.

Let’s put this Prawn and Chorizo Pasta all together!

Pour the remaining oil into the same pan over medium-high heat. Add in the prawn heads and stir-fry for a minute, then remove and discard them, leaving just the oil. Place the garlic and shallots into the oil and stir quickly for 30 seconds or until fragrant. Add in the passata, peas, olives, sugar and stir to combine for two minutes.

Add in the pasta, prawns and HALF of the chorizo crumbs into the pan. Stir to combine and cook until the pasta has heated through. Pour in a few tablespoons of pasta water to loosen up the pasta. Add in the lemon zest, lemon juice, chilli crisp (if using) and stir to combine. Have a taste and add salt and pepper to your liking. Give it a final stir and plate up. Top and garnish the pasta with the remaining chorizo and any optional topping. Serve immediately.

Pasta obsessed? why not try out this flavourful fusion pasta dish Butter Soy Pasta with Prawns and Miso or if you’re a fan of slow-cooked tender meats, you will love Slow Cooked Ragu with 3 meat

A Third-Party Application calculated the calories and nutritional information. Please use this as an approximate guide only.

Cooking measurements are in Australian standard spoon and cup measurements.

I would love to hear your thoughts or feedback on this post. If you have made this recipe, please show your support by commenting and rating this recipe. You can do this by scrolling down or by clicking the green circle on the left. To prevent spam on this site, an email address is required but it won’t be published.

Cheers (I’ll drink to that) – Cat Tre