One Pot Chorizo, Prawn and Pea Orzo

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An easy, yet incredibly tasty one-pot meal made from pan-fried chorizo, orzo pasta, cherry tomatoes, vegetable stock, frozen prawns, cream cheese, frozen peas, parmesan and basil. Full of big flavours, this impressive dish is perfect for a dinner party.

One-pot Chorizo Prawn and Pea Orzo served in the dish it was cooked in, served with fresh basil leaves sitting on a wooden chopping board.

It's no secret that I love a one-pot meal and this recipe for One Pot Chorizo, Prawn and Pea Orzo is no exception. The recipe starts with pan-fried chorizo, then orzo that gets toasted before being cooked with stock, cherry tomatoes, cream cheese and parmesan. The prawns and peas come in near to the end and finally the dish is topped with fresh basil. Delicious!

One-pot meals are so tasty because all of the flavour remains in the pot. From deglazing then pan to cooking the pasta in the cooking juices, all of these steps help to build on the flavour.

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Ingredient notes:
Step by step instructions:
Recipe FAQs:
Storage:
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One Pot Chorizo, Prawn and Pea Orzo

Ingredient notes:

The ingredients for One-pot Chorizo, Prawn and Pea Orzo on a grey bench top.

Prawns: This recipe calls for frozen prawns. I like to keep a bag of prawns in the freezer at all times to make quick and easy meals like this.
Chorizo: I use a mild chorizo when making this. If you prefer you could a use something spicier.
Tomatoes: This recipe can be made easily at any time of the year using a can of cherry tomatoes.

Note: Scroll to the recipe card for the ingredients, quantities and the full method.

A woman holds a pie on the cover of a cookbook titled Everyday Comfort Food. Text beside it promotes finding a recipe in the cookbook.

Step by step instructions:

Heat a large non-stick frying pan over a low heat. Add the oil, onion, garlic and chorizo and gently sauté for a few minutes. Pour in the orzo and mix to combine. Cook for two minutes to toast the orzo.

Diced onion and chorizo lighting frying in a fry pan.

Diced onion, chorizo and dry orzo in a medium sized frypan before the stock has been added to combine the mixture.

Dissolve the stock cubes in the boiling water. Pour into the pan to deglaze it then add the can of cherry tomatoes and mix to combine. Simmer on a low heat. Keep stirring to prevent the orzo from sticking to the bottom of the pan, until most of the liquid has absorbed and the orzo is almost cooked.

The vegetable stocked being added to the orzo and chorizo mixture.

Chorizo, onion, stock, tomato's and orzo gently frying in a medium fry pan.

Add the prawns to the pan with the cream cheese. Stir until the prawns have changed colour and cream cheese has melted. Stir in the peas and parmesan.

Diced prawns which have been added to the chorizo and orzo mixture.

Peas and cheese being added to the creamy cooked chorizo and prawn orzo mixture.

Once the orzo is al dente, season to taste with salt and pepper. Grate over extra parmesan and garnish with basil, then serve immediately.

Recipe FAQs:

What is the best way to defrost prawns?

The safest way to defrost prawns is in the fridge. Place the prawns in an airtight container in a single layer if possible. Allow prawns to defrost completely, either overnight or over several hours. Prawns can also be thawed in a jug of cold water. Cover the jug and leave on the bench for 1 hour replacing the cold water halfway through.

What meat could be used instead of prawns?

Chicken would be great in this meal! You could either add in cooked, shredded chicken towards the end. Or, you could brown some diced chicken at the start, set is aside, then add it back to the pan towards the end.

What is orzo?

Orzo is a short-cut type of pasta. It is also known as Risoni.

Storage:

Store any leftover chorizo, prawn and pea orzo in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave until piping hot.

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One Pot Chorizo, Prawn and Pea Orzo

Yield: Serves 4

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

A quick and easy one-pot pasta meal made from frozen prawns and peas cooked with chorizo, cherry tomatoes, cream cheese and parmesan, topped with basil.

Ingredients

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
160g chorizo, finely chopped
500g orzo pasta
2 vegetable stock cubes
2 1⁄2 cups boiling water
400g can cherry tomatoes
300g prawns, thawed and tails removed
100g cream cheese
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
25g parmesan cheese, grated
Fresh basil, to garnish

Instructions

Heat a large non-stick frying pan over a low heat. Add the oil, onion, garlic and chorizo and gently sauté for a few minutes.
Pour in the orzo and mix to combine. Cook for two minutes to toast the orzo.
Dissolve the stock cubes in the boiling water. Pour into the pan to deglaze it then add the can of cherry tomatoes and mix to combine.
Simmer on a low heat. Keep stirring to prevent the orzo from sticking to the bottom of the pan, until most of the liquid has absorbed and the orzo is almost cooked.
Add the prawns to the pan with the cream cheese. Stir until the prawns have changed colour and cream cheese has melted. Stir in the peas and parmesan.
Once the orzo is al dente, season to taste with salt and pepper.
Grate over extra parmesan and garnish with basil, then serve immediately.

Notes

Mild or spicy chorizo both work.
Swap the frozen peas for baby spinach.
If you don’t like prawns, swap them for extra chorizo.
Make a chicken version by swapping the chorizo for diced chicken thighs.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 795Total Fat: 35gSaturated Fat: 13gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 19gCholesterol: 224mgSodium: 1776mgCarbohydrates: 74gFiber: 6gSugar: 9gProtein: 44g

Nutritional values are approximate. Please use your own calculations if you require a special diet.

Thank you for checking out this recipe. I hope you enjoy making and eating it! If you have any questions, queries or feedback, please feel free to leave a comment below.
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Vanya