Espagueti Verde Recipe

Espagueti verde, also known as Mexican green spaghetti, is pasta dish coated in a creamy poblano pasta sauce. It is a classic and easy Mexican dish that tastes great with the addition of chicken or shrimp for some added protein.

📝 Ingredients

• 1 pound spaghetti
• 2 Tablespoons salt (divided)
• 3 medium poblano peppers (I used canned for the batch in the pictures, but there are instructions to roast them below, you can use canned or freshly roasted)
• 1/2 medium white onion (chopped)
• 1 medium clove garlic (diced)
• 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream (or milk)
• 1 teaspoon Better Than Bouillon Roasted Chicken Base (or chicken bouillon of choice)
• 6 ounces cream cheese (3/4 of a package of a block of cream cheese)
• 1/4 cup freshly chopped cilantro (plus more for topping)
• Queso Cotija or Queso Fresco (crumbled, for topping)

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. 1If you're going to use freshly roasted poblano...: If you're going to use freshly roasted poblano peppers instead of canned poblano peppers, start by roasting them now. See the notes section or the post above for instructions on the different methods of roasting.
2. 2Cook the spaghetti in a large pot seasoned...: Cook the spaghetti in a large pot seasoned with 5 teaspoons of the salt. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta cooking water.
3. 3Roughly chop the cooked poblano peppers. To a...: Roughly chop the cooked poblano peppers. To a blender, add the poblano peppers, white onion, and garlic. Blend until smooth.
4. 4Heat a large pot over medium heat and...: Heat a large pot over medium heat and add the butter. Swirl to coat the bottom of the pot. Add the chili and onion mixture, and let it cook for 2 - 3 minutes. Add in the heavy whipping cream, chicken bouillon, and salt. Turn the heat to low. Stir to combine and let it cook for an additional 1 - 2 minutes. Add the cream cheese and stir until it’s melted into the sauce.
5. 5Add the cooked pasta to the pot, and...: Add the cooked pasta to the pot, and toss to evenly coat the pasta in sauce. If the sauce is too thick, add in some of the reserved starchy pasta water. Mix in the 1/4 cup of freshly chopped cilantro.
6. 6Serve and top with crumbled cheese and additional...: Serve and top with crumbled cheese and additional cilantro.