Espagueti Verde Recipe (Mexican Green Spaghetti)

Pasta in an a creamy, spicy, herby sauce? It already sounds delicious! This is a Mexican dish you may not be as familiar with, but is just as good as any other Mexican classic! This Espagueti verde recipe might become your new favorite for when you’re craving Mexican flavors in a pasta!

Espagueti Verde is a pasta I enjoy because the green, creamy sauce is very unique and so Mexican in taste. The Mexican crema and the serrano chiles give this sauce a rich, spicy flavor that complement each other very well. I also love the beautiful green color of the sauce on the pasta, it’s great to look at and one you’ll want to take a picture of!

I like to garnish this pasta with chopped parsley and grated parmesan cheese for an extra layer of fresh and savory flavors. This might be one you’ll want to make on your next pasta night!

What is Espagueti Verde?

Espagueti Verde or green spaghetti in English, is a Mexican pasta dish typically made with spaghetti, green chiles, onion, garlic, and Mexican crema as the main ingredients. There are different variations of this dish and more than one way to prepare it. The main differences are in the type of chiles used and also the addition of cream cheese to the sauce.

Like in many Mexican dishes, the sauce is the star of the show! This green sauce is creamy, fresh, and spicy, which are flavors that complement each other so well. The rich sauce combined with the peppery, hot chiles is my favorite thing about this espagueti verde recipe, it creates a super flavorful pasta. I like to add parsley to the sauce for an herby flavor as well as spinach for freshness and color. The spinach gives the sauce a wonderful green color that pops! It’s also a great way to use up any spinach you might have and incorporate more vegetables into the dish!

This is definitely not a traditional dish, but a modern Mexican dish. Mexican people love to embrace other cultures and sometimes create dishes from those cultures, but with a Mexican twist or Mexican ingredients. So for espagueti verde, the pasta noddles are Italian, but the sauce is made with Mexican ingredients. Another good example of a modern Mexican dish is birria ramen. This dish has gained popularity in Mexico and the United States in recent years. It uses Japanese ramen noodles, but the ingredients and flavor for the broth come from the birria which is Mexican. This is one reason I think Mexican cuisine is one of the most exciting in the world! It respects tradition while also not being afraid to try new ideas or adapt a dish from another country using Mexican ingredients.

What type of Chiles to use?

The type of chiles you use can vary, but the important thing is to choose a green chile. I like using serrano chiles because they add a nice amount of heat and a peppery flavor. You can also use jalapeños if you prefer a milder dish.

Poblano chiles are the most popular used in espagueti verde recipes, which are also a good option for the sauce. These chiles are less spicy compared to a serrano, so for mild sauce this is good one to use as well. The poblano chiles are usually roasted, either under a broiler or on a skillet until they are charred and blistered. They then are then transferred to a bowl and covered with plastic wrap to allow them to cool and to steam so the charred skins can be easily peeled. This process provides a smoky flavor to the poblano chiles which are then blended with onion, garlic, and crema to make the sauce.

I like to slice up the serrano chiles and sauté them in oil for a few minutes along with the onion and garlic to develop flavor and aroma. Once these ingredients are sautéed, I blend this mixture along with the crema, milk, parsley, and spinach to make the sauce. I prefer this method for a few reasons, first I like the flavor and aroma of the sautéed onion, serrano chiles, and garlic. This method is also a bit more simple since you don’t need to roast the chiles and then peel them. Both methods are great and provide different, but delicious results in flavor.

How To make Espagueti Verde?

1. Heat oil over medium heat in a large pan.
2. Add chopped onion and sauté for about 3 to 5 minutes or until they’re translucent.

3. Add sliced serrano chiles and cook for about 3 minutes until they soften a bit.
4. Add sliced garlic and cook for about 1 minute, the garlic will become fragrant.

5. Remove pan from heat and let the onion and chile mixture cool down for 5 to 10 minutes.
6. Transfer mixture to a blender along with chopped parsley, spinach, Mexican crema, milk, and salt.
7. Blend ingredients until smooth.
8. Add enough water to a medium or large pot to cook the dried spaghetti. Bring to a boil.
9. Cook the dried spaghetti for 10 minutes or per the packet instructions.
10. While the pasta cooks, on the same pan where the onion and chile was sautéed, add 1 tablespoon butter. Heat pan over medium heat.
11. When the butter is melted and starts to bubble add the blended green sauce.
12. Lower heat to medium low and cook sauce gently for 5 minutes and stir occasionally so sauce doesn’t stick. Sauce will thicken a bit.
13. Add another 1/4 cup of crema for a bit more creaminess. Stir into the sauce and remove from heat or turn off heat.
14. Transfer spaghetti to the large pan and toss with the green sauce, making sure it’s well coated.
15. If the sauce is too thin add a bit more cream, a tablespoon at a time unit you reach desired thickness. If the sauce is too thick add a bit of the past water one tablespoon at a time until you reach desired texture.
16. Garnish with chopped parsley and parmesan cheese. Enjoy!

Tips and Suggestions

1. For a less spicy sauce you can substitute jalapeño for serrano chiles. Remove the seeds and veins for even less spice.
2. Many varieties of pasta work with this sauce. You can also use Fettuccine, Rigatoni, and Bucatini instead of Spaghetti.
3. Cook the sauce on medium low to keep the cream and milk from curdling.

How to Store Espagueti Verde

This pasta is best if consumed right after cooking and tossing. If you have leftovers, store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

How to Reheat Espagueti Verde

To reheat espagueti verde place the pasta in a pan and add 2 tablespoons of water. Turn the heat on to medium and let the pasta reheat for about 5 to 10 minutes. If the sauce starts to boil or vigorously simmer turn down the heat to medium low.

How to Serve Espagueti Verde?

This Mexican pasta is even better when garnished with some chopped parsley and grated parmesan cheese for an extra layer of fresh and savory flavors! Espagueti verde can be a meal on it’s own or it can be served with a salad or pan seared chicken cutlets.

I hope you enjoy this espagueti verde recipe. Please let me know in the comments below if you make it and how it went.

Gracias y provecho!

Raul

Espagueti Verde (Mexican Green Spaghetti)

Espagueti Verde is a Mexican pasta tossed in a creamy green sauce. It's made with spaghetti, serrano chiles, Mexican crema, onion, garlic, parsley, and spinach.

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Servings: 4 people

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Mexican

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 8 oz dried spaghetti
• 2 serrano chiles sliced
• 1 garlic clove sliced
• 1/4 white onion chopped
• 1/2 cup parsley chopped
• 1/2 cup spinach
• 3/4 cup Mexican crema plus more if desired
• 1/4 milk
• salt to taste

Method

 

1. Heat oil over medium heat in a large pan.
2. Add chopped onion and sauté for about 3 to 5 minutes or until they’re translucent.
3. Add sliced serrano chiles and cook for about 3 minutes until they soften a bit.
4. Add sliced garlic and cook for about 1 minute, the garlic will become fragrant.
5. Remove pan from heat and let the onion and chile mixture cool down for 5 to 10 minutes.
6. Transfer mixture to a blender along with chopped parsley, spinach, 1/2 cup of Mexican crema, milk, and salt. Blend ingredients until smooth.
7. Blend ingredients until smooth.
8. Add enough water to a medium or large pot to cook the spaghetti. Bring to a boil.
9. Cook the dried spaghetti for 10 minutes or per the packet instructions.
10. On the same pan where the onion and chile was sautéed, add 1 tablespoon butter. Heat pan over medium heat.
11. When the butter is melted and starts to bubble add the blended green sauce.
12. Lower heat to medium low and cook sauce gently for 5 minutes and stir occasionally so sauce doesn't stick. Sauce will thicken a bit.
13. Add another 1/4 cup of crema for a bit more creaminess. Stir into the sauce and remove from heat or turn off heat.
14. Transfer spaghetti to the large pan and toss with the green sauce, making sure it's well coated.
15. If the sauce is too thin add a bit more cream, a tablespoon at a time unit you reach desired thickness. If the sauce is too thick add a bit of the past water one tablespoon at a time until you reach desired texture.
16. Garnish with chopped parsley and parmesan cheese. Enjoy!

Notes

1. For a less spicy sauce you can substitute jalapeño for serrano chiles. Remove the seeds and veins for even less spice.
2. Many varieties of pasta work with this sauce. You can also use Fettuccine, Rigatoni, and Bucatini instead of Spaghetti.
3. Cook the sauce on medium low to keep the cream and milk from curdling.