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Creamy Sweetcorn Pasta Salad with Chorizo

Creamy Sweetcorn Pasta Salad with Chorizo

A summery, meal-prep friendly pasta salad built around roasted sweetcorn and crispy chorizo. Roasting the corn alongside the chorizo lets it soak up all the smoky, paprika-spiked oil, and a pot of tzatziki does the work of a dressing with no whisking required. It costs around £1 a portion, keeps happily in the fridge, and is just as good cold from a lunchbox as it is freshly made.

Makes 5 people · Prep 10 mins · Cook 30 mins · 9 ingredients · 5 steps

Ingredients

  • 1kg frozen sweetcorn
  • 210g chorizo sausage (sliced into chunks)
  • 250g penne
  • 1 pot of tzatziki (approx. 200g)
  • 50g spring onions (thinly sliced)
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp garlic granules
  • Chilli flakes (optional)
  • Salt and pepper

Method

  1. Tray up the chorizo. Preheat the oven to 200°C. Add the chorizo, sweetcorn, olive oil, garlic granules and a pinch of salt and pepper to a baking tray and toss to coat.
  2. Roast and cool. Roast for 30 minutes, stirring halfway through. Once cooked, transfer to a large bowl and leave to cool.
  3. Cook the pasta. Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to the packet instructions, then drain and rinse under cold water until completely cooled.
  4. Dress the salad. Add the pasta to the bowl along with the tzatziki and half of the spring onion. Stir to combine, loosening with a few tablespoons of cold water if needed, then season with salt and pepper.
  5. Divide and top. Divide into bowls or meal prep containers and top with the remaining spring onion, chilli flakes if using, and plenty of black pepper.

Good to know

  • Let the chorizo and sweetcorn cool properly before mixing, otherwise the tzatziki will split and go watery.
  • Swap the chorizo for bacon lardons for a cheaper, less smoky version.
  • Keeps in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days — perfect for lunches through the week.
  • Loosen with a splash of water or an extra spoonful of tzatziki before eating, as the pasta absorbs the dressing as it sits.