About this recipe
This dish is called espagueti verde or Mexican green spaghetti with creamy poblano sauce. It is a classic Mexican dish that is both flavorful and hearty. The vibrant green color of the pasta comes from the roasted poblano, while the dish’s creaminess comes from the cashews. Usually, this dish is made with dairy and can be pretty heavy.
In México, this is a traditional side dish that is usually served as a main course and can be made year-round. Some families also make it a Christmas or special occasion dish.
This recipe is a lighter, healthier, and dairy-free version that comes together in under 30 minutes.
Ingredients
- Roasted Poblanos
- Spinach. Use kale, spinach, arugula, or a mix of all.
- Cashews. Substitute them with almonds or macadamias if needed.
- Lemon juice
- Liquid. Almond milk, oat milk, water, or vegetable broth.
- Onion and garlic
- Pasta, obviously spaghetti.
How to make Mexican green spaghetti
Soak your cashews for half an hour. Don’t worry if you don’t; blend for a bit longer.
Roast the poblano peppers in the oven or over the stove until completely charred.
Blend all the ingredients, taste for seasoning, and adjust if necessary.
Start cooking your noodles.
Saute the onion and garlic with a pinch of salt until soft and fragrant.
Pour the poblano sauce and bring to a simmer—season with salt and pepper. Add the noodles to the pan.
Finish with chopped cilantro.
Serving suggestions
If you have the spaghetti verde as a main dish, serve it with a good green salad with a simple vinaigrette or a shaved brussel sprout salad.
Tips for this Mexican green pasta
- To give this Mexican pasta dish a spicy kick, keep the veins and seeds in the poblano peppers or add some serranos or jalapeños to the sauce.
- You can roast the poblanos directly over the stove or on a comal. Rotate them frequently until they are fully charred.
- Note: As prepared, this poblano pasta dish is not spicy.
Frequently asked questions
How to roast poblano peppers in the oven
Preheat the oven to 350ºF (175 degrees C). Place the peppers on a lightly oiled baking sheet. Roast them in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Turn the peppers and roast for 10 minutes, or until slightly charred.
I must confess that I don’t peel the poblano peppers after roasting them. Shocking, I know, but believe me, you won’t even notice the difference in this dish.
And then you can freeze them. Check this How to Roast and Freeze Poblanos post.
Vegan Spaghetti Verde (Espagueti Verde)
Equipment
- Large pot for pasta
- 12 in. Frying pan
Ingredients
- 1 16 oz spaghetti package
- 4 roasted poblano peppers
- 2 cups greens spinach
- ½ cup dairy-free milk, unsweetened
- ½ cup water or vegetable broth
- ¾ cup raw cashews
- 3 tbsp lemon or lime juice
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- ½ onion, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, sliced
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 tbso olive oil
Instructions
- Soak the cashews for at least half an hour.
- Roast the poblano peppers in the oven or over the stove until completely charred. Roast your poblanos over the stove or in the oven. Remove the stem, veins, and seeds.
- Blend the cashews, poblano peppers, milk and water (or vegetable broth), greens, lemon or lime juice and salt until creamy.
- Start cooking the pasta.
- Sauté the onions and garlic in olive oil and butter until soft and fragrant. Add a pinch of salt to them to develop more flavor.
- Add the poblano crema to the pan and bring it to a simmer. Season with salt, then add the pasta to the pan and ensure it's completely coated.Finally, taste the dish to make sure the seasoning is to your liking before serving
Notes
- Make sure to blend the cashews and poblano peppers until they are creamy and smooth. If you forgot to soak the cashews beforehand, blend the mixture for a more extended period.
- Add any greens you have on hand, such as arugula or spinach.
- If you prefer, you can peel the poblano peppers. I don’t peel them.
- For better pasta preparation, I recommend not draining it after boiling. Instead, use kitchen tongs to remove the pasta from the pot and place it directly into the pan where your sauce is ready. This way, the water in which the pasta was cooked stays in the pot in case you need to add a bit to the sauce to adjust its consistency.
- If you find the sauce too thick, simply add some of this cooking water, about a quarter cup, to thin it out.
Nutrition
information
Nutritional information of this recipe is only an estimate, the accuracy for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
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