Name: Spaghetti Verde Recipe (Espagueti Verde, aka "Green Spaghetti")
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 25 min
Ingredients: 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); 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)); Crumbled cotija cheese (or use queso blanco or other crumbly white cheese, sliced peppers, red chili flakes, fresh chopped cilantro)

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

Try Some of My Other Popular Verde Recipes

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")

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

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American, Mexican

Keyword: jalapeno, pasta, poblano, spicy, tomatillos

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Calories: 375kcal

Author: Mike Hultquist

Servings:

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5 from 5 votes

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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

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.

Spaghetti Verde