Description
Spaghetti Verde is a delicious Mexican-inspired pasta dish featuring a creamy poblano pepper sauce. Roasted poblano peppers blended with cream cheese, sour cream, cilantro, and queso fresco create a flavorful, rich sauce perfectly coating al dente spaghetti for a comforting and vibrant meal.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Pasta
- 16 ounces spaghetti, cooked according to package directions
For the Sauce
- 4 poblano peppers
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- ½ medium onion, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 bunch of cilantro (about 1 cup)
- 1 (8-ounce) package full-fat cream cheese
- 1 cup sour cream or Mexican crema
- ½ cup chicken broth or milk
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ cup queso fresco + more for garnish
Instructions
- Roast Poblanos: Roast the poblano peppers over an open flame or in the oven until the skins are almost blackened. Transfer them to a glass bowl or a sealed plastic bag and cover tightly with plastic wrap to steam for 10 minutes. This softens the skins for easy removal. Once rested, peel off the skins, tear each pepper open, and remove the seeds under cold running water.
- Sauté Aromatics: Heat the olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and minced garlic and sauté until fragrant and translucent, about 3-4 minutes. This forms the flavorful base of the sauce.
- Blend the Sauce: In a blender, combine the roasted poblano peppers, sautéed onion and garlic, cilantro, cream cheese, sour cream, chicken broth (or milk), kosher salt, ground cumin, and queso fresco. Blend until the mixture is completely smooth and creamy.
- Heat the Sauce: Pour the blended sauce into a saucepan and warm over low to medium heat, stirring gently to prevent sticking. Heat until the sauce is hot and slightly thickened but do not boil.
- Toss Pasta with Sauce: Add the cooked spaghetti to the warmed sauce in the saucepan. Toss thoroughly to ensure every strand of pasta is coated with the creamy poblano sauce.
- Serve: Plate the pasta and garnish with extra queso fresco and fresh cilantro leaves. Serve warm for best flavor and texture.
Notes
- Make Ahead: Prepare the creamy poblano sauce ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator. Reheat gently while you cook the pasta before combining.
- Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat gently, adding a splash of broth, milk, or water to loosen the sauce if it thickens.
- Roasting Tip: Roasting the peppers over an open flame adds a smoky depth, but oven roasting also works well.
- Substitutions: For a vegetarian version, substitute chicken broth with vegetable broth or milk.
