Poblano Pasta is a mouth-watering Mexican-inspired recipe featuring al dente spaghetti noodles, spicy roasted chile pepper sauce and salty crumbled queso.
This delicious vegetarian meal is quick & easy to prepare at home, ready to serve in around 40 minutes.
You’ll impress guests after preparing a simple roasted poblano and jalapeno pasta sauce, made creamy with the addition of whole milk and tangy sour cream. Toss the sauce in a skillet with al dente pasta, sweet corn, a squeeze of lime and top with crumbled cotija cheese.
It’s the perfect spicy Mexican feast to serve any night of the week – with an ice cold Corona beer or margarita, pretty please!
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What Is Poblano Pasta?
I love traveling to Mexico.
As a professional food and travel journalist I’ve had the opportunity to visit award-winning restaurants and partake in chef-led cooking classes in popular culinary destinations like Mexico City, Los Cabos, and Puerto Vallarta.
I’ve also researched and eaten my way through the Best Mexican Restaurants in Toronto, a tasty work project that has me constantly on the hunt for the city’s best tacos and tequila.
So you may be wondering, what is Poblano Spaghetti exactly?
The poblano is a mild chili pepper originating in the state of Puebla, Mexico. Dried, it is called ancho. Stuffed fresh and roasted it is popular in chiles rellenos poblanos (which I adore filled with melted, oozing cheese).
While poblanos tend to have a mild flavour, occasionally they can pack a significant punch of heat (think of them as the Russian Roulette of Mexican peppers). A ripened red poblano is much hotter and more flavourful than the less ripe, green poblano, which we use in this recipe.
Our Mexican Spaghetti recipe is prepared in 3 simple stages. The main ingredient in the pasta sauce is homemade roasted poblano peppers:
- Roast poblano and jalapeno peppers (over a gas stove, in the oven or grilled on a barbecue).
- Prepare creamy poblano pasta sauce in a food processor or blender.
- Cook spaghetti then toss with the sauce and sweet corn before serving with cheese.
Roasting Mexican Peppers
The process of roasting peppers is a tradition in Mexican cuisine. Roasting peppers and chiles changes the texture, flavour and spiciness. Some peppers become more sweet, others like chipotle take on a distinct smoky flavour. Our Dry Roasted Salsa Mexicana is a great example of a simple recipe where peppers are roasted to maximize the overfall flavour of a dish.
The pasta sauce in our recipe features roasted poblano and jalapeno peppers. There are many ways you can roast Mexican peppers at home:
- GAS STOVE: over a high flame place peppers directly over your stove. Allow the skin to blacken and shrivel on all sides, which takes around 2-3 minutes. We use a similar method to roast eggplants when making Middle Eastern Mutabbal.
- BARBECUE GRILL: jack up your barbecue so the flames are on high. Place peppers directly over oil greased grates (to ensure the skin doesn’t stick). Allow the skin to blacken and get bubbly, flipping after 2-3 minutes of cooking time.
- OVEN ROASTED: set your oven to 400 F. Arrange peppers on a baking sheet and place in the centre of your oven. Roast for 20-30 minutes, until the skin on top has blackened, flip so they are evenly charred.
- OVEN BROILED: set your oven to broil. Arrange peppers on a baking sheet then place approximately 6 inches underneath the broiler element. Broil for 5-10 minutes, until the skins are blackened before flipping to scorch the other sides.
If you’re roasting the jalapeños and poblanos at the same time keep an eye on the peppers as jalapeños take less time to roast due to their smaller size.
Once the peppers are perfectly roasted, dip the charred poblanos and jalapeños into a plastic bag and seal, or into a mixing bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a large plate to trap the steam.
Once the skins have loosened and the peppers are cool enough that you can touch them with your bare hands, peel off the skins and discard.
Poblano Pasta Ingredients
This easy vegetarian recipe is prepared with affordable ingredients that are easy to find at your local grocery store or Latin American supermarket. Here’s what you’ll need on your grocery list:
- Poblano Chiles
- Jalapeno Peppers
- Spanish Onion
- Garlic Cloves
- Parsley
- Whole Milk
- Sour Cream or Mexican Crema
- Butter
- Spaghetti Pasta
- Sweet Corn
- Lime
- Cotija or Feta Cheese
Recipe Instructions
Follow our detailed recipe card below for easy step-by-step instructions. This Mexican Poblano Pasta recipe is similar to our Tallarines Verdes Peruvian Green Spaghetti.
- To prepare the chiles, place them directly over your stoves gas flame at its highest setting, turning constantly until charred, 5-7 minutes. You can also achieve a good char by placing the chiles on a baking sheet under a broiler.
- Once the chiles are charred, put the chiles in a medium bowl and cover with a large plate for a few minutes to soften and steam. This makes peeling off the skin easier. Cover until cool enough to handle, then remove most of the skin with your fingers.
- Remove the stems and interior seeds of the poblano and jalapeno then add to a food processor or blender with chopped onion, minced garlic, parsley, and milk. Blend until smooth.
- In a medium-sized pan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the pureed chile sauce, canned corn and lime juice to the pan and allow to simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add sour cream and half of the crumbled cheese then stir until thickened.
- Meanwhile, cook your pasta in salted water until al dente. Drain the spaghetti and add it to the pot with the poblano sauce. Stir or toss pasta to coat the sauce.
- Toss then serve in pasta bowls sprinkled with remaining cheese.
Cooking Tips
This delicious Mexican Spaghetti recipe is quick and easy to make at home. Here are a few tips and tricks to get you started:
- If you have a gas stove in your kitchen the quickest way to roast peppers is over an open flame. In the summer you can easily roast chiles on your barbecue grill. Year round roasting in the oven or under a broiler is more time consuming but simple way to scorch those pepper skins to perfection!
- Always place blackened peppers in a bag or bowl (sealed with plastic wrap) as it makes removing the skin super easy. The heat and moisture they give off helps the skin separate from the soft flesh of the peppers. We recommend handling the peppers while wearing gloves to avoid getting any spicy pepper juices on your skin or in your eyes.
- If you enjoy a high level of heat in your pasta sauce, leave a few seeds and veins in the poblano peppers.
- We’ve used Spanish (yellow) onions in this recipe but you can substitute with sweet Vidalia onions, white onions or shallots.
- We like to use parsley to flavour the pasta sauce but you can substitute with cilantro if you prefer.
- Use whole milk for a creamier pasta sauce, or if looking to get decadent you can increase the milk fat content by using half & half or table cream.
- Sour Cream gives the sauce a tangy flavour, if you have access to Mexican-style crema it’s the most authentic option.
- We like to use a long and slender pasta like spaghetti when preparing this dish but you could also use linguine, fettuccine, spaghettini, or tagliatelle.
- We’ve used canned sweet corn (Peaches & Cream variety is recommended) but you can also use freshly shucked corn on the cob or frozen corn kernels.
- Save some of the starchy pasta water to thin out the sauce if needed. It’s an old Italian trick!
- Top the pasta with crumbled cheese, such as Mexican cotija or Greek-style feta.
- If you want to add additional protein to the dish add in a cup of your favourite legumes like chickpeas or beans.
- If you’re serving a crowd substitute the spaghetti for penne or rigatoni and scoop the Poblano Pasta into a casserole dish and top with shredded mozzarella cheese. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes at 375 F until the cheese is browned and bubbling. Scoop and serve!
Poblano Spaghetti Serving Suggestions
We love serving Poblano Pasta when vegetarian friends and family are coming to dinner. It’s the perfect meal to serve on meat-free Mondays!
This carb-heavy dish is the ultimate comfort food for those who adore spicy roasted Mexican peppers. If you’re vegetarian serve it alongside a fresh salad like Mexican Vegan Cucumber Radish Salad with Chipotle Peanuts.
If you’re serving this Mexican spaghetti as a side dish, it’s the perfect accompaniment to grilled seafood, steaks, pork chops or chicken.
Twirl your spicy pasta with an ice-cold Mexican drink like a Corona beer or craft cocktails like a Margarita, Mezcal Mule, Tequila Smash, Cantaritos or Paloma.
If you’re hosting a Mexican-inspired potluck or dinner party you may also like to make these popular recipes:
- Gazpacho Moreliano Mexican Fruit Salad
- Spicy Chipotle Roasted Mexican Potatoes
- Tostadas de Tinga Mexican Shredded Chicken Tostada
- Tostadas de Camaron Prawn Ceviche Tostada
- Pastel Azteca Mexican Tortilla Chicken Casserole
- Chicken Pork & Shrimp Mexican Paella
- Mexican Pepita Pesto
Storage & Reheating
If you have leftover Poblano Pasta store it in an air-tight container in your fridge for 2-3 days. Reheat the pasta in a microwave or over the stove in a skillet. You may want to add a splash of milk to rehydrate the noodles.
If you have leftover sauce (that hasn’t been tossed in noodles yet) you can store the sauce in the fridge for 6-7 days and simply cook your favourite pasta and toss as a quick last minute meal.
Poblano Pasta Sauce can also be frozen for up to 3 months. Remove the frozen sauce from the freezer the night before you want to prepare it and let it thaw in the fridge.
You May Also Enjoy These Pasta Recipes…
- Spicy Garlic Prawn and Chilli Linguine Pasta
- Chilean Tallarines con Palta Vegetarian Avocado Pasta
- Pasta Nerano Spaghetti con Zucchine
- Cheesy Egyptian Macarona Bechamel
- Philly Cheesesteak Stuffed Pasta Shells
- Jamaican Jerk Shrimp Rasta Pasta
- Pansotti Pasta with Genovesi Walnut Pesto Sauce
- Ciceri e Tria Vegan Pugliese Pasta with Chickpeas
- Tajarin Pasta with Porcini Truffle Butter Sauce
- Pizzoccheri alla Valtellinese Buckwheat Pasta
How To Make Spicy Poblano Spaghetti Pasta
Mexican Poblano Spaghetti Pasta
Equipment
- Large pot
- Nonstick Skillet
- French knife
- measuring cups
- measuring spoons
- mixing bowl
- Food processor
Ingredients
- 2 Poblano Chiles
- 3 Jalapeno Peppers
- 1/3 cup Spanish Onion chopped
- 3 Garlic Cloves peeled, minced
- 1/4 cup Parsley
- 1 cup Whole Milk
- 1/2 cup Sour Cream
- 1 tbsp Unsalted Butter
- 1 lb Spaghetti Pasta
- 10 oz Canned Sweet Corn
- 1 Lime juiced
- 1 cup Cotija Cheese or Feta crumbled
Instructions
- To prepare the chiles, place them directly over your stoves gas flame at its highest setting, turning constantly until charred, 5-7 minutes. You can also achieve a good char by placing the chiles on a baking sheet under a broiler.
- Once the chiles are charred, put the chiles in a medium bowl and cover with a large plate for a few minutes to soften and steam. This makes peeling off the skin easier. Cover until cool enough to handle, then remove most of the skin with your fingers.
- Remove the stems and interior seeds of the poblano and jalapeno then add to a food processor or blender with chopped onion, minced garlic, parsley, and milk. Blend until smooth.
- In a medium-sized pan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the pureed chile sauce, canned corn and lime juice to the pan and allow to simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add sour cream and half of the crumbled cheese then stir until thickened.
- Meanwhile, cook your pasta in salted water until al dente. Drain the spaghetti and add it to the pot with the poblano sauce. Stir or toss pasta to coat the sauce.
- Toss then serve in pasta bowls sprinkled with remaining cheese.
Nutrition
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Spicy pasta!