A classic family meal that will please all generations ‘Macarrones con Chorizo’ Macaroni with Chorizo Sauce. A rich, spicy but tangy tomato sauce that clings onto perfectly cooked macaroni dotted with nuggets of sweet and smoky chorizo finished with gooey melted gruyere cheese on top. Simply delicious! This version here is a one pot wonder. Everything is cooked in the same pan, even the macaroni. What could be more simple? Serve straight from the pan to the table. Grate the cheese over when it’s finished cooking and leave the lid on for a few minutes. It will be perfectly melted and gooey on top when you remove the lid and are ready to eat. I love serving this for an easy weekend lunch with a fresh, crisp salad and a hunk of warm, crusty bread. 

Macaroni with Chorizo Sauce

Macaroni with Chorizo Sauce

  • Cook Time: 5 to prepare 35 to cook min
  • Persons: 6
  • Difficulty: Easy

  • Ingredients
  • 1 large onion
  • 2 large cloves of garlic
  • 16 oz of macaroni
  • 1 lb 12 oz tin of crushed tomatoes  or tomato sauce
  • 4 cups of water
  • 1.5 cups of sliced or cubed cured chorizo 
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 dried chili peppers
  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 4 oz gruyere cheese
  • 1 tpsp salt
  • handful of fresh chopped parsley 
  1. Instructions
  2. Slice the chorizo into disks or cubes.
  3. Finely dice the onion and finely slice the garlic.
  4. In a dry pan turn heat up to medium and fry the chorizo for 2 minutes. Remove the sausage and reserve but leave the residual oil in the pan.
  5. Add the oil and sweat the onion for 10 minutes until soft.
  6. Add the garlic and fry for another 3 minutes.
  7. Add the tomatoes and fry for a 3 minutes. Keep the sauce moving.
  8. Still on a medium heat add the macaroni, chorizo, salt and 4 cups of water. Simmer for 20 minutes. Keep checking and stirring as the sauce can stick!
  9. Remove from heat and put the grated cheese on top. Put lid back on for 2 minutes util cheese has melted. 
  10. Remove lid and serve with freshly chopped parsley on top. 

Top Tips

  • It you are lucky enough to have fried tomato sauce to hand then skip the onion and garlic and go straight to heating the fried tomatoes and then adding the remaining ingredients.
  • Love baked pasta? This is delicious when transferred into a baking dish and placed under the grill for a minute or 2 after cheese is sprinkled over. The top will be golden brown and crispy but still deliciously gooey. 
  • If you have fresh herbs growing in your garden or need to use up some of the dried stuff then the sauce goes great with rosemary, oregano, thyme and fresh basil. 

Macaroni with Chorizo Sauce – Macaronnes con Chorizo

Macaroni has never tasted so good! Treat your family to a new twist on regular Macaroni Cheese. This sweet and spicy sauce generously spooned over pasta and smothered in cheese is hard to beat ‘Macarrones con Chorizo’. It will become a dish you roll out again and again.