Green Spaghetti
Our green spaghetti recipe (aka Espagueti Verde) combines broiled tomatillos and poblano peppers, sautéed onion, garlic, lime, scallions, and fresh cilantro to make an easy vegetarian dinner for two with a uniquely Mexican flair.
Servings: 2 servings
Ingredients
- 6 ounces thin spaghetti or angel hair
- 2 medium poblano peppers halved lengthwise
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 3/4 lb tomatillos peeled and quartered (about 6 medium)
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- Juice of 1 lime
- 2 scallions chopped (optional)
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 2 tablespoons sour cream more or less to taste
- 2 lime wedges optional garnish
Instructions
- Position a rack about 6 inches from the top of the oven, preheat the broiler, and put a large pot of salted water on to boil for the pasta.
- Cover a broiler pan with aluminum foil, coat lightly with nonstick spray, arrange the poblanos, skin side up in a single layer, and broil until patches of the skin begin to blister and blacken, 5 to 10 minutes.
- Remove the peppers from the oven, fold the edges of the foil up to form a sealed pouch and set aside for 10 to 15 minutes. This will steam the peppers and make it easier to remove the skin.
- While the peppers cool, arrange the quartered tomatillos on the broiler pan. Season with salt and pepper, broil until softened, 4 to 5 minutes, then set aside to cool.
- While you prepare the poblanos and tomatillos, heat the olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat, add the onion, and sauté until soft and translucent, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic, season lightly with salt and pepper, and continue cooking until fragrant, 2 minutes longer. Remove from the heat.
- Once the poblanos are cool enough to handle, peel off as much of the skin as possible, then rough chop them and place them in the work bowl of a food processor. Add the roasted tomatillos and the onion-garlic mixture (including the olive oil) and process to a salsa-like consistency. Transfer to a bowl and season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Cook and drain the pasta according to package directions, reserving 1/4 cup of the cooking liquid for the sauce. Stir the reserved liquid, lime juice, and chopped scallions into the sauce.
- Pour about half of the sauce over the pasta, add the cilantro and toss to combine.
- To serve, plate individual servings of pasta and divide the remaining sauce over the top. Top with a tablespoon of sour cream, garnish with lime wedges and serve immediately.
Notes
Shopping for tomatillos: Look for firm, unblemished fruits with intact husks. Husks that have loosened from the fruit are not necessarily bad, just be sure to check the firmness and appearance of the tomatillo underneath. Tomatillos have a longer shelf life than tomatoes and can be stored in a paper bag in your refrigerator's crisper for up to two weeks.
Shopping for poblano peppers: The peak season for poblanos is in late summer and early fall. When shopping, look for shiny skin free of soft spots and blemishes.
Doubling the recipe to serve 4: Because of the way it's prepared, it's easy to adjust the number of serving for this recipe. Simply double the ingredient quantities - the cooking time and method remain the same.
Leftover sauce: Should you have any of the sauce left over, simply store it in the fridge for up to two days and serve it with tortilla chips.
Nutrition
Calories: 567 | Total Fat: 19g | Cholesterol: 4mg | Sodium: 317mg | Carbohydrates: 88g | Fiber: 10g | Sugar: 14g | Protein: 15g