Do you know about Green Spaghetti, aka Espagueti Verde? It’s a wonderful dish that has creamy, smooth sauce made from roasted poblano peppers that just melts in your mouth. The fresh cilantro mixed into the sauce gives it a light and refreshing twist.
It’s not just your typical spaghetti. It’s a vibrant, comforting meal that’s perfect when you want to shake things up a bit on pasta night. I think it’s a great way to to introduce a bit of Mexican flair into my kitchen, turning it into an entirely new and exciting pasta dinner.
Pasta isn’t usually the first thing that comes to my mind when thinking about Mexican cuisine, but there are few hidden gems out there. Sopa de Fideo is one that I cooked recently, and I liked it so much that I decided to look for more!
So What is Green Spaghetti?
Green Spaghetti, or Espagueti Verde in Spanish, is a unique and delicious Mexican pasta dish known for its vibrant green sauce.
The sauce, which is the star of the dish, gets its color primarily from poblano peppers, which have a mild but distinct flavor.
These peppers are roasted to enhance their taste and then blended with ingredients like cream cheese, Mexican crema or sour cream, cilantro, garlic, and onions.
This combination creates a creamy, rich, and flavorful sauce, which can almost be considered a Mexican twist on pesto.
Ingredient Needed
- Poblano Peppers – For the Green Spaghetti, I use poblano peppers because they give the dish its authentic flavor and color. If I can’t find poblanos, I sometimes use green bell peppers for a milder taste, or mix bell peppers with a bit of jalapeños for some heat.
- Cream Cheese and Mexican Crema – To make the sauce creamy, I use cream cheese and Mexican crema. If I don’t have Mexican crema, sour cream works well too. For a lighter sauce, I replace cream cheese with Greek yogurt, but it does change the flavor a bit.
- Cilantro – If you’re not a fan of cilantro or if it’s unavailable, you could use parsley for a different but still fresh taste.
- Chicken Broth – Vegetable broth can be used as a substitute for a vegetarian version of the dish.
- Jalapeños – I add jalapeños if I want the sauce spicy, but they’re optional. If I want a different kind of spice, I use serrano chilies.
- Garlic and Onions: Garlic and onions are standard in my recipe, but sometimes I switch it up and use shallots instead of onions for a slightly different flavor.
- Butter – And for cooking, if I don’t want to use butter, I go with olive oil as a substitute when making the sauce.
Espagueti Verde Recipe
1. Cook the pasta: I bring a large pot of salted water (about 1 teaspoon of salt per quart of water) to a boil. Then, I cook the spaghetti according to the package instructions until it’s al dente. Before draining, I make sure to reserve 1 cup of the pasta water for later use.
2. Roast the poblano peppers: I place the peppers on a foil-lined baking sheet and broil them for about 5 minutes per side. This helps get them nicely charred and ready for the sauce.
3. Blend the sauce: I start by peeling the skin off the chilis, then I remove the seeds and stems. After that, I put them into a blender along with cream cheese, crema, garlic, cilantro, chicken broth, onion, and a jalapeño. I blend everything together until it reaches a smooth consistency.
4. Cook the sauce: I melt the butter in a pot over medium heat, and to make cleanup easier, I use the same pot I cooked the spaghetti in. Then I add the creamy sauce and bring it to a low simmer.
5. Finish the dish: I add in the cooked spaghetti and toss everything until it’s well combined. If I want the sauce a little thinner, I just add a bit of the reserved pasta water.
Variations
- Add Protein: Sometimes I make this meal heartier by adding cooked chicken or shrimp to the spaghetti.
- Add Veggies: For some veggies, I like to throw in sautéed mushrooms, spinach, or zucchini.
- Spice Level Adjustments: To adjust the spice level, I tweak it to suit my taste that day. I turn up the heat with extra jalapeños or a dash of hot sauce, or keep it milder by removing the seeds from the peppers and using fewer jalapeños.
Alpana’s Tips
- Roasting the Peppers: Roasting the poblano peppers is crucial. I aim to get a good char on them because it adds depth of flavor and makes the skin easier to peel off. After charring, I place them in a covered bowl or a plastic bag for a few minutes to help steam the skin off.
- Sauce Consistency: The consistency of the sauce should be creamy but not overly thick. If it’s too thick after blending, I thin it with a bit of the pasta cooking water.
- Pasta Cooking: I cook my spaghetti to al dente according to the package instructions. Overcooked pasta can become mushy and won’t hold up well against the creamy sauce.
- Balancing Flavors: I taste my sauce as I go, adjusting the seasonings, including salt and pepper, to my liking.
Make my version of green spaghetti for your next pasta night. It’s a unique twist that will bring smiles to the whole table.
For more easy weeknight dinners, check out our hand picked collection of Dinner Ideas for Tonight. Until next time…
Espagueti Verde, on our Gypsy Plate… enjoy!
More great pasta dishes to try:
TikTok Spaghetti
Pasta e Piselli
Chicken Pastina Soup
Louisiana Chicken Pasta
Orecchiette with Sausage
Creamy Sausage Pasta
Gigi Hadid Pasta
Pastalaya
Espagueti Verde (Mexican Green Spaghetti)
Espagueti Verde is a unique Mexican Green Spaghetti dish with a creamy roasted poblano sauce.
Ingredients
- 12oz dry spaghetti
- 4 poblano peppers (about 1 pound)
- 2oz cream cheese
- 1 cup Mexican crema (see note 1)
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 bunch cilantro, stems removed
- ½ cup chicken broth
- ¼ medium onion, roughly chopped
- 1-2 jalapenos (see note 2)
- 2 Tbsp butter
Instructions
- Bring a large pot or dutch oven of salted water to a boil. Add spaghetti and cook according to directions to al dente. Reserve a cup of pasta water before draining.
- While the pasta is cooking, place the poblano peppers on a foil lined baking sheet and broil on high heat until they develop a nice char, about 5 minutes per side. Remove peppers to a bowl and cover it with cling wrap for 5-10 minutes.
- Peel the skin off of the chilis and remove seeds and stems. Transfer to a blender along with cream cheese, crema, garlic, cilantro, chicken broth, onion and jalapeno. Blend to a smooth consistency.
- Melt the butter in a pot over medium heat (for easier cleanup, use the same pot you cooked the spaghetti in). Add in creamy pepper sauce and bring to a low simmer.
- Add in cooked spaghetti. Toss until well combined. If you desire a thinner sauce consistency, add a little reserved pasta water.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
- Where we live, crema is pretty easy to find in the supermarket produce aisle. If you can't find it, replace with ¾ cup sour cream and a little extra pasta water.
- For a milder green spaghetti, remove the seeds. For spicier, leave them in.
- Leftovers: You can refrigerate leftover green spaghetti in an airtight container for 3-4 days. Reheat in the microwave, or on stovetop over medium heat. The pasta will have absorbed some of the sauce, so add a little water or olive oil to loosen things up. We do not recommend freezing this dish.
Nutrition Information
Yield 6 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 400Total Fat 19gSaturated Fat 11gTrans Fat 1gUnsaturated Fat 6gCholesterol 54mgSodium 353mgCarbohydrates 48gFiber 3gSugar 5gProtein 10g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Welcome to GypsyPlate! I'm Alpana, former wordwide tour manager and professional caterer, now full time blogger. I love exploring cuisines from around the world, and my recipes have been featured on sites such as MSN, Parade, Brit + Co, CNET and AOL. You can explore my entire collection of sortable recipes in my Recipe Index or learn more about me here.
Get griddling! Try these Blackstone Recipes!
Never miss a recipe!
Join the GypsyPlate mailing list and get easy dinner recipes right in your mailbox. From homestyle comfort food to exotic dishes from around the world.
