One Pot Spicy Sausage Pasta (2024)

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.

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, has a rich tomato based sauce thanks to the tomato paste and tomato puree, and is finished off with some herbs, chilli flakes and fresh parsley. You can also add a little bit of fresh parmasen to give it that extra creaminess but leave it out if you want it to remain dairy-free.

Key Ingredients

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. With just a few ingredients that pack a lot of flavour we can achieve a rich and hearty meal in just 30 minutes.

Note all ingredients and their quantities are laid out in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

• Chorizo sausages – I am using Spanish style chorizo pork sausages, not the cured, salami style however I have used that in this recipe and it works fine. You can use any type of seasoned sausage but the majority of the flavour of this pasta does come from the sausages.
• Red onion – I find the milder, sweeter flavour of red onion works best in this recipe but you can use any onion you have on hand.
• Garlic – adding extra flavour. Feel free to measure this with your heart.
• Tomato paste – for a deep, rich and caramelised tomato flavour.
• Herbs and spices – I am using a combination of dried oregano, dried basil and chili flakes to give this pasta a little kick. Adjust the amount of chilli based on your preferences and use any combination of Italian herbs that you have or like.
• Chicken stock – adding extra flavour that will be absorbed by the pasta as it cooks. You may need to add a little more depending on the pasta you’re using.
• Passata – or pureed tomatoes is the base of the pasta sauce. You could also use a can of tomatoes if that was all you had, although the texture will be less creamy and more chunky.
• Pasta – my favourite pasta shape for this pasta is casarecce which is a smaller, twisty pasta so the sauce gets caught in all the grooves. It can be a little harder to find as not all supermarkets stock it, but any smaller shape pasta should work, you just may need to adjust the cooking time and add a little more stock or water.

Step-By-Step Instructions

To make this one pot spicy sausage pasta you’ll of course need the pot! You want to use a medium sized, heavy based pot with a lid. My favourite is a cast iron Dutch oven like this one from Amazon. It is just the right size for this and is fantastic for ensuring even heat distribution.

Start by finely dicing the onion and chopping the sausages into 1 inch pieces.

In your pot, heat the olive oil and add in the onions, garlic and sausage pieces. Sauté for a few minutes minutes until the sausages are brown and the onions are soft.

Add the tomato paste and mix through, allowing it to darken in colour and caramalise slightly. Turn down the heat to medium/low and add in the herbs, chilli powder and salt and pepper, followed by the stock and the tomato puree.

Add the uncooked pasta and stir to combine. Place the lid on the pot and cook for approximately 15-20 minutes, stirring regularly so the pasta doesn’t stick to the base. The cooking time will be dependent on the type of pasta you use and you may need to add a little more stock or water until the pasta is cooked.

If you want to add parmesan, add it to the pot and mix through. Divide the pasta between bowls and top with freshly chopped parsley and extra chilli flakes if desired.

Recipe FAQs

More pasta recipes:

Prawn and Chorizo Pasta
20 Minute Bow Tie Pasta
Slow Cooked Beef Ragu
Vegan Mac and Cheese
Vegan Vodka Pasta
One Pot Cajun Chicken Pasta

This post was originally published on the August 2020. It has been republished to include better instructions, more helpful information and new photos.