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This crispy chorizo pasta salad is a fast, easy, and versatile pasta salad that can be a main course or side dish. Spicy chorizo and a zesty vinaigrette make this pasta salad a winner!
I’ve made quite a few pasta salads for this blog. People seem to just love them, so I am happy to keep supplying them! You’re in for a treat with this chorizo pasta salad recipe! I love it.
Maybe it’s because chorizo is one of my favorite things in general, but I feel like everything just goes so well here. Simple ingredients and big taste!
The dressing is tangy and zippy. Since it’s not a mayo-based one, the salad still feels fairly light despite the delicious fried sausage. I had some of this pasta salad for my lunch at work the day after I made this, and it definitely passed the leftovers test!
I would probably eat chorizo most days if I didn’t have some self restraint. I have it every few months, and it’s wonderful every time.
We’ve got some simple ingredients in here that pack quite the flavor punch:
- Spicy chorizo sausage (but feel free to sub mild if you wish)
- Parmesan cheese
- Black olives
- Red onions
- Garlic
- Red wine vinegar
- Parsley
This easy summer pasta salad recipe comes together in a flash, and you don’t even need a separate bowl for the dressing. Just toss it all in the salad bowl, and you’re good to go!
Love easy pasta salads? Try my spinach tortellini salad with salami or my BLT pasta salad.
If you love chorizo, you may also like my chorizo and mushroom pasta!
Questions? Let me know!
Crispy Chorizo Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 3 cups uncooked pasta (I used bows)
- 1 (8.8 ounce) coil Spanish chorizo sausage cut into small pieces
- 1 (6.8 ounce) can sliced black olives drained
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley chopped
- 2 tablespoons red onion chopped finely
- 1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- Salt & pepper to taste
Dressing:
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1-2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1-2 cloves garlic minced
- Pinch dried oregano
- Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Boil a salted pot of water and cook the pasta according to package directions. When it's done, drain it, rinse it under cold water, and let it drain further until needed.
- Fry your chorizo on medium heat for about 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it's nice and crispy. You shouldn't need to add any extra oil to the pan because chorio generally contains enough fat to fry on its own. The chorizo's fat will render, and you can leave it at the bottom of the pan.
- While the pasta and chorizo cook, prep your other ingredients.
- I just add the dressing ingredients straight to the bowl and toss everything together when everything is ready to go. You may want to adjust oil/vinegar/garlic/salt & pepper quantities to suit your tastes.
- Serve at room temperature or chilled.
Notes
- You can buy chorizo that needs to be cooked (I did for this recipe) or chorizo that's ready to eat. Either would work for this recipe, but I do prefer the kinda that needs to be cooked because it crisps up better. I've tried frying both. Anything in the 8.8 ounce size ballpark will work.
- Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy only and should be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary and Salt & Lavender makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Any idea of the calorie count? It’s so good!
Hello! I just added it for you, but keep in mind that with a recipe like this, it’s very much an estimate. I’m not sure what kind of chorizo the nutrition calculator pulls (it could even be Mexican when I used Spanish), so calories can vary quite a bit, especially if the sausage coil size is different or you don’t measure the dressing too accurately, but it gives you a general idea. I’m so glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
is this the Spanish or Mexican chorizo?
Spanish. I’ll update the recipe when I get a chance to make it more clear.
I’m telling my son Sean about this recipe Natasha> He loves pasta salads, and chorizo is his favorite. He loves to make a big batch and bring it to work for lunch during the week! This one will be a total hit!
I hope he loves it!! I brought some of this to work, and it really made my day better haha. Love my chorizo.
I Love chorizo and wish people would use it more! this pasta salad is one I would devour!
I totally agree!! Thanks, Tieghan!
This pasta looks amazing!!! love the chorizo!!
Thanks, Alice!!
I am so down with this, we love chorizo so much!
Thanks, Matt. It’s definitely tasty. Have a great weekend! 🙂