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Home » Recipes » Spaghetti Verde

Spaghetti Verde

by Mike Hultquist · Jun 10, 2022 · 22 Comments

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Spaghetti Verde Recipe (Espagueti Verde)

This spaghetti verde recipe, aka espagueti verde or "green spaghetti", is made with spaghetti noodles tossed in a flavorful green sauce of tomatillos and roasted peppers. Delicious!

Spaghetti Verde Recipe (Espagueti Verde, aka Green Spaghetti)

Mexican Green Spaghetti - Spaghetti Verde!

It's pasta time in the Chili Pepper Madness kitchen, my friends. Are you in? Tonight we're making spaghetti, only this isn't a spaghetti like you've ever seen.

We're making Spaghetti Verde, and I think you're doing to love it. It also goes by Espagueti Verde or Green Spaghetti.

Spaghetti verde is a Mexican recipe with a twist that feels like a Mexican-Italian mashup, an Italian pesto pasta made with Mexican ingredients. Pass the parmesan cheese, please! No, wait, cotija!

Green Spaghetti Sauce is the Key

Spaghetti verde, aka "Espagueti Verde" or "Green Spaghetti", skips the tomato sauce and focuses on a green sauce made with tomatillos, roasted poblano peppers and a few flavorful extras to develop its distinctive green color.

It's easy to make, and it's huge on flavor. I find it wonderfully satisfying and easy to adjust to your flavor and heat preferences. Bust out the tomatillos for this one, my friends!

Fresh tomatillos for making Spaghetti Verde

Let's talk about how to make spaghetti verde, shall we?

Spaghetti Verde Ingredients (Green Spaghetti)

  • FOR THE SPAGHETTI VERDE SAUCE
  • Peppers. Poblano peppers and jalapeno peppers. I love the combination.
  • Other Vegetables. Tomatillos, Spinach, Onion, Garlic, Cilantro.
  • Creaminess Factor. Mexican crema (or sour cream as an alternative), Cream cheese (optional, for extra creamy)
  • Extras. Olive oil for cooking, chicken stock (optional, to thin the verde sauce), Spaghetti Noodles
  • SEASONINGS
  • Ancho Powder, Cumin, Salt and Black Pepper. You can use others to your preference.
  • FOR SERVING
  • Crumbled cotija cheese (or use queso blanco or other crumbly white cheese), sliced peppers, red chili flakes, fresh chopped cilantro

How to Make Spaghetti Verde (Green Spaghetti) - the Recipe Method

Roast the Peppers. Preheat oven to 400 degrees or set it to broil. Slice the poblano peppers and jalapeno peppers in half lengthwise and remove the innards, if desired. Set the peppers onto a baking sheet (stems and seeds removed - aluminum foil will make for easy cleanup), and bake for 10-12 minutes, until the skins are blackened and blistered.

You might need a bit longer, depending on your oven. Roasting poblanos is easy! It goes faster with the broil setting.

Roasted poblanos and jalapenos for making Spaghetti Verde

See my posts on roasting poblano peppers and roasting peppers for more information and discussion.

Cool the Peppers. Allow the peppers to cool enough to handle. Transfer them to a bowl and cover them with plastic bags or a paper towel, or place them into baggies or paper bags to let the skins steam and loosen.

Peel the Peppers. Peel off the skins and discard them. Add the roasted peppers to a food processor.

Cook Down the Vegetables. Heat the oil in a pan to medium heat. Add the chopped tomatillos, spinach and onion. Cook for 5 minutes to soften. Add the garlic and stir. Cook for 1 more minute.

Cooking down the tomatillos and onions to make Spaghetti Verde

Process the Verde Sauce. Transfer the cooked ingredients to the food processor with the roasted peppers and process until chunky.

Add the cilantro, crema, cream cheese (if using), ancho powder, cumin and salt and pepper. Blend until smooth. Adjust the thickness of the poblano sauce with chicken stock or chicken bouillon, or water, if desired.

Also taste and adjust for salt.

Espagueti Verde sauce (aka green spaghetti sauce) in a food processor

Toss the Spaghetti Verde. Transfer the verde sauce to the pan and heat to a simmer. Add the cooked spaghetti and toss to combine. Use a few tablespoons of the pasta water to act as a thickener.

Swirling cooked spaghetti noodles into the Spaghetti Verde sauce

Serve! Serve into bowls and top with crumbled cotija cheese, pepper slices, red chili flakes and fresh chopped cilantro.

Boom! Done! Green spaghetti in the house! Ready to serve. If you've never tried spaghetti verde, I believe you'll fall in love with this Mexican dish instantly. Such an easy recipe, both to make and to love.

Green spaghetti in a pan, ready to serve

Recipe Tips & Notes

  • The Peppers. Poblano peppers are traditionally used to make espagueti verde. I like to add jalapeno peppers and sometimes serrano peppers for the heat factor. Try it with Anaheim peppers or other larger sweeter peppers, like green bell peppers.
  • The Tomatillos. Tomatillos add so much flavor to the green spaghetti sauce. I cook mine down in the pan with the onions and spinach, but you can also roast them if you'd like. See how to roast tomatillos. 
  • Creamy Verde Sauce. Add in extra crema or sour cream and also cream cheese for body and a creamy green sauce. Try it with heavy cream for a richer sauce.
  • The Pasta. Spaghetti noodles are traditional with espagueti verdi, hence the name, though you can easily make this with other pasta noodles. I enjoy making a version with penne noodles, then baking it with melty cheese over the top. Delicious!

Serving Spaghetti Verde

Serve your green spaghetti verde as a main course. Toss in your favorite protein for a fuller meal, like grilled chicken, shrimp, pork or even tofu. Add extra vegetables to keep it vegetarian. Serve it cold as a great summer side dish. 

Make Ahead

You can make the sauce the day before and keep it refrigerated in an airtight container. When you're ready to cook, gently heat it in a pan and toss it with prepared pasta.

You can also freeze the verde sauce without the cream cheese for 3 months. When you're ready to cook, thaw it, warm it, then process with cream cheese (or skip the cream cheese altogether), then toss with pasta.

Storage

Keep any leftover spaghetti verde in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 2 days.

To reheat, you can gently warm it in a pan with a splash of water or oil to loose it up.

That's it, my friends. I hope you enjoy this spaghetti verde recipe. Let me know if you make it. Green spaghetti is amazing! I'd love to hear how it turned out for you. Keep it spicy!

Try Some of My Other Popular Pasta Recipes

  • Drunken Noodles (Pad Kee Mao)
  • Spicy Ramen Noodles
  • Cajun Pasta
  • Cajun Shrimp Pasta
  • Shrimp Fra Diavolo
  • Buffalo Chicken Pasta
  • Rasta Pasta
  • Sopa de Fideo
  • See all of my Spicy Pasta Recipes

Try Some of My Other Popular Verde Recipes

  • Chilaquiles Verdes
  • Chicken Enchilada Verde Casserole
  • Chile Verde
  • Salsa Verde Recipe
  • Chicken Enchiladas Verdes
Spaghetti Verde twirled on a fork

Got any questions? Ask away! I’m happy to help. If you enjoy this recipe, I hope you’ll leave a comment with some STARS. Also, please share it on social media. Don’t forget to tag us at #ChiliPepperMadness. I’ll be sure to share! Thanks! — Mike H.

Spaghetti Verde Recipe (Espagueti Verde, aka Green Spaghetti)
Print

Spaghetti Verde Recipe (Espagueti Verde, aka "Green Spaghetti")

This spaghetti verde recipe, aka espagueti verde or green spaghetti, is spaghetti tossed in a flavorful green sauce of tomatillos and roasted peppers, so easy to make!
Save Recipe Saved!
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American, Mexican
Keyword: jalapeno, pasta, poblano, spicy, tomatillos
Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes minutes
Calories: 375kcal
Author: Mike Hultquist
Servings: 6
Tap or hover to scale
5 from 7 votes
Leave a Review

Ingredients

FOR THE VERDE SAUCE

  • 3 poblano peppers
  • 2 jalapeno peppers
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 6 tomatillos husks removed, chopped
  • 1.5 cups spinach roughly chopped
  • 1 small onion chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic chopped
  • 1/2 bunch cilantro roughly chopped
  • 1 cup Mexican crema or more to taste - use sour cream as an alternative
  • 2 ounces cream cheese optional, for extra creamy
  • 1/4 cup chicken stock optional, to thin the verde sauce

SEASONINGS

  • 2 teaspoons ancho powder or use your favorite chili powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon cumin
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • FOR THE SPAGHETTI VERDE
  • 12 ounces spaghetti noodles cooked to package instructions (al dente)

FOR SERVING

  • Crumbled cotija cheese or use queso blanco or other crumbly white cheese, sliced peppers, red chili flakes, fresh chopped cilantro

Instructions

  • Roast the Peppers. Preheat oven to 400 degrees or set it to broil. Slice the poblano peppers and jalapeno peppers in half lengthwise and remove the innards, if desired. Set the peppers onto a baking sheet (aluminum foil will make for easy cleanup), and bake for 10-12 minutes, until the skins are blackened and blistered. You might need a bit longer, depending on your oven.
  • Allow the peppers to cool enough to handle. Transfer them to a bowl and cover them with plastic or a paper towel, or place them into baggies or paper bags to let the skins steam and loosen.
  • Peel off the skins and discard them. Add the roasted peppers to a food processor.
  • Heat the oil in a pan to medium heat. Add the chopped tomatillos, spinach and onion. Cook for 5 minutes to soften.
  • Add the garlic and stir. Cook for 1 more minute.
  • Transfer the cooked ingredients to the food processor with the roasted peppers and process until chunky.
  • Add the cilantro, crema, cream cheese (if using), ancho powder, cumin and salt and pepper. Process until smooth.
  • Adjust the thickness of the verde sauce with chicken stock, if desired. Also taste and adjust for salt.
  • Transfer the verde sauce to the pan and heat to a simmer.
  • Add the cooked spaghetti and toss to combine.
  • Serve into bowls and top with crumbled cotija cheese, pepper slices, red chili flakes and fresh chopped cilantro.

Video

Nutrition Information

Calories: 375kcal   Carbohydrates: 54g   Protein: 11g   Fat: 13g   Saturated Fat: 2g   Cholesterol: 32mg   Sodium: 231mg   Potassium: 446mg   Fiber: 4g   Sugar: 7g   Vitamin A: 1525IU   Vitamin C: 61mg   Calcium: 110mg   Iron: 2mg
Spaghetti Verde Recipe (Espagueti Verde, aka Green Spaghetti)
Did You Enjoy This Recipe?I love hearing how you like it and how you made it your own. Leave a comment below and tag @ChiliPepperMadness on social media.
 

NOTE: This recipe was updated on 6/10/22 to include new information, photos and video. It was originally published on 1/11/21.

Reader Interactions

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    Recipe Rating




  1. Lyn says

    March 05, 2025 at 6:30 am

    5 stars
    I like to make my meals in batches and eat for the next three to 4 days so I need to be really crazy about a recipe. As long as I can get the tomatillos I will be eating this once a month. Incredible!!!

    Reply
    • Mike Hultquist says

      March 05, 2025 at 8:39 am

      Awesome to hear! Patty really LOVES this one for sure. One of her favorites. Glad you're enjoying it!

      Reply
  2. Randy VanderNaillen says

    July 26, 2023 at 7:17 am

    5 stars
    I made this last night! Great smell in the kitchen. I loved it! My wife .. not so much. Glad there are leftovers.

    Reply
    • Mike Hultquist says

      July 26, 2023 at 7:28 am

      Glad you enjoyed it, Randy!

      Reply
  3. Jérémie says

    June 11, 2022 at 1:59 pm

    5 stars
    For lunch, today, I had a big meal, so I wasn't really tempted to have another one, or even to cook at all, tonite. But your video was in my head and I said to myself: these spaghetti verde are what I need right now!
    I found the sauce surprising, very original and strong in flavor. Thank you very much Mike, for saving my evening 😉

    Reply
    • Mike Hultquist says

      June 11, 2022 at 2:02 pm

      Wonderful! Very happy you enjoyed this one, Jérémie. We definitely love the flavor here. One of Patty's favorites.

      Reply
  4. Gregg Thoman says

    June 10, 2022 at 6:25 pm

    This looks amazing, can’t wait to try it!

    Reply
    • Mike Hultquist says

      June 11, 2022 at 7:05 am

      Nice! Enjoy!

      Reply
  5. Susan Mccormack says

    September 28, 2021 at 11:35 pm

    Why is the sodium so high

    Reply
    • Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says

      September 29, 2021 at 5:14 am

      Susan, my calculator says it is the crema. Use a low sodium version (sour cream or crema).

      Reply
  6. David C Fowler says

    April 26, 2021 at 11:29 am

    5 stars
    Made it last night. Good stuff.
    I'm having a hard time with roasting peppers. I let them sit in a paper or plastic bag and the skins won't come off. I would like to be able to make Chili Relleno without destroying the pepper.

    Reply
    • Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says

      April 26, 2021 at 11:48 am

      Thanks, David. Could be you need to roast the peppers a bit longer to loosen up the skins a bit more. I've had a tough time peeling peppers that didn't roast long enough. Let me know if this helps.

      Reply
  7. Cheryl Hill says

    January 19, 2021 at 5:06 pm

    5 stars
    Made a big batch last night, and it is FABULOUS! Juggled, not having poblanos but using other peppers. No problem! So glad I have leftovers. Home made pasta next time for sure.

    Reply
    • Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says

      January 20, 2021 at 7:18 am

      Excellent! Glad you enjoyed it, Cheryl!

      Reply
  8. lee says

    January 13, 2021 at 8:27 am

    I usually roast then stuff poblanos with rice & sauted green chili & olives etc, no peeling. This recipe looks so good I'll do whatever it says.

    Reply
    • Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says

      January 13, 2021 at 9:16 am

      Yes! I do love stuffed poblanos. I hope you like this recipe! SO GOOD!

      Reply
  9. jamie parisi says

    January 11, 2021 at 8:19 pm

    Mike,
    I made your salsa verde recipe earlier in the summer and preserved it. would this be a good substitute once adding the crema?

    Reply
    • Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says

      January 12, 2021 at 6:46 am

      Jamie, absolutely. The perfect substitute. Enjoy!

      Reply
  10. Elena says

    January 11, 2021 at 4:21 pm

    5 stars
    Looks scrumptious & I can’t wait to make the spaghetti verde! Thanks Mike

    Reply
    • Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says

      January 12, 2021 at 6:47 am

      Thank you, Elena!

      Reply
  11. jimAND ROSE nashwinter says

    January 11, 2021 at 2:09 pm

    5 stars
    We love pasta. This is a keeper. We have pasta aioli a lot. We grew up in Niagara Falls NY. Very Italian.

    Reply
    • Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says

      January 11, 2021 at 2:26 pm

      Super tasty for sure!

      Reply

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