Another day another food crime 😂 Traditional bolognese? Absolutely not. Bloomin’ delicious nevertheless?! Heck yes! If you’re looking for your new favourite way to use chorizo follow me…
Chorizo Bolognese
I know, it may sound a little left field, but stick with me here. Chorizo, beef and red wine is a force to be reckoned with. But when you combine it all in a ragu, things get real good real quick. The smokiness of the chorizo and the deep flavour of the wine just takes this bolognese to new heights.
What Chorizo to use?
Ready-to-eat cured chorizo works great here. Just regular Spanish chorizo, not spicy or anything like that. You can use cooking/raw chorizo as well.
What Wine to use?
I’m no wine expert, but I usually go for something like Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot. Doesn’t need to be fancy or expensive, but in all cases just makes sure it’s DRY (not sweet).
Honourable Mentions
Two more key ingredients I throw in are Rosemary and Sun Dried Tomatoes. Rosemary goes amazingly with chorizo, whilst the sun dried tomatoes really deepen the tangy, smoky flavour of the chorizo. Process shots: brown beef then remove (photo 1), fry chorizo, onion, carrot, celery (photo 2), stir in tomato puree then deglaze with wine (photo 3), add beef back in (photo 4), add stock, passata, bay leaves, rosemary, sun dried tomatoes and seasoning (photo 5), stir then simmer (photo 6).
Tips for the perfect Chorizo Bolognese
Finely Dice – Important to finely dice everything, but most importantly the chorizo. Love chorizo, but large chunks in a bolognese are slightly distracting. Time – Crucial to simmer the bolognese for AT LEAST 1 hour 30mins. This will tenderize the beef/chorizo and marry all the flavours together. Consistency – Important to keep a heavy lid on the pot as you simmer or it’ll reduce too much.
Pasta Water
You’ll notice a layer of oil form on the top from the chorizo. I recommend adding a splash of starchy pasta water and mixing that in. This will help emulsify the fats in the sauce and stop them from separating/rising to the top.
Can I make this ahead of time?
Absolutely! As it rests the flavours will actually develop further. Either store in the fridge or freezer, then defrost in the fridge overnight and reheat on the stove.
Serving Chorizo Bolognese
This obviously goes great with spaghetti (or other long-cut pasta). I love to top with parmesan and tiny fresh basil leaves. Feel free to add some roasted garlic bread (or even pesto garlic bread/cheesy garlic bread!).
What can I do with leftovers?
Goes great plonked on a Bolognese Slider or even scooped inside a Garlic Potato Skins! If you’re after another chorizo pasta recipe check out my Chicken and Chorizo Pasta! For more similar recipes check out these beauties too:
Spaghetti Bolognese Life Changing Lasagne Epic Baked Spaghetti One Pot Meatballs and Rice
Alrighty, let’s tuck into the full recipe for this chorizo bolognese shall we?!
How to make Chorizo Bolognese (Full Recipe & Video)
If you loved this Chorizo Bolognese recipe then be sure to Pin it for later! Already made it or got a question? Give me a shout in the comments and pick up your free ecookbook along the way!
