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    Home » MAINS

    Creamy Mexican Green Spaghetti (Espagueti Verde)

    Modified: Jan 31, 2025 by Susan Pridmore · This post may contain affiliate links · 17 Comments

    A plate of espagueti verde (Mexican green spaghetti) with text overlay.
    A plate of Mexican green spaghetti with a small pitcher of the sauce with text overlay.
    A plate of Mexican green spaghetti with text overlay.
    A plate of Mexican green spaghetti (espagheti verde) with text overlay.

    Mexican Green Spaghetti, also called espagueti verde and spaghetti verde, tosses cooked spaghetti pasta (I used trofie, a twisted pasta shape) with a creamy green sauce made from roasted poblanos, Mexican crema, garlic, cilantro, and queso fresco.

    This green pasta is a perfect vegetarian main dish for busy weeknights.

    Jump to Recipe
    A plate of trofie twisted pasta tossed in a creamy poblano sauce topped with queso fresco cheese.

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    Want to make this Mexican spaghetti recipe perfectly the first time? I want to help with that. Check out this Table of Contents to see which sections of this post will help you the most.

    Jump to:
    • 🤷‍♀️ What are poblano peppers?
    • 🌶 What's a good substitute for poblano peppers?
    • ❤️ Why you'll love this Mexican pasta recipe
    • 🧅 Main Ingredients + Notes
    • 🔪 Recommended Equipment
    • 📝 Instructions Overview
    • 💡Ideas for Mexican Spaghetti Variations
    • 📇 More Vegetable Pasta Dishes For You
    • Mexican Green Spaghetti (Espagueti Verde)

    If you need dinner ready quickly, one of the best strategies is to make some favorite sauces in advance and keep them in the refrigerator. This green sauce is an excellent example of a sauce that adds to many dishes. Other sauces I like having on hand are a Gribiche Sauce, this Smoky Spicy Roasted Tomato Sauce, and an Avocado Cream Sauce (for tacos!).

    They can be tossed with pasta, grains, legumes, or vegetables during the week for easy, healthy lunches and dinners.

    🤷‍♀️ What are poblano peppers?

    • This recipe is essentially pasta in a green sauce made with poblano peppers. If you're unfamiliar with these peppers, they're large, dark green, oblong, and heart-shaped peppers. When eaten raw, they're spicy, even though I've read reports that label them mild.
    • They're typically roasted or grilled whole and peeled, but many recipes call for them to be chopped and sautéed without peeling them.
    • The longer you roast them, the milder they become.
    • In some parts of the world, including the United States, they are sometimes called pasilla peppers.
    • If you're at a Farmer's market where they roast them on-site, they're often only lightly roasted and will still be pretty spicy. This happened to me in Santa Fe for a dinner I made for a party that night. I had to add a LOT of cheese to balance the heat.
    • Poblano peppers are fantastic with potatoes in a gratin and as part of a broth for Mexican spaghetti soup (Sopa de Fideo Verde).

    🌶 What's a good substitute for poblano peppers?

    If you can't find poblanos (or pasilla chile peppers), you can substitute Anaheim or Hatch chile peppers for the green pasta sauce.

    Anaheim peppers are slightly less spicy than poblanos. Hatch chiles are typically hotter than their sister Anaheim pepper.

    ❤️ Why you'll love this Mexican pasta recipe

    • Flexible use. This poblano cream sauce can be used for veggie dishes such as cauliflower and potatoes or tossed with grains such as rice or farro.
    • Super easy recipe. Roasting and peeling the poblano peppers is the most time-consuming part of the recipe.
    • Make-ahead options. You can make the sauce ahead to make this recipe easy to make in less than 30 minutes.

    🧅 Main Ingredients + Notes

    The secret to faster and easier meals often lies in the ingredients. For example, store-bought items and ingredients you make ahead and store in the refrigerator (or freezer) can turn a 60-minute recipe into a 30-minute meal or less.

    Go to the Recipe Card at the bottom of this post for all the ingredients, measurements, and directions for this espagueti verde recipe.

    • Poblano peppers - If poblano peppers aren't available in your markets, pasilla, Anaheim, and Hatch chile peppers are all good substitutes. For a spicy pasta dish, add a Serrano or jalapeño pepper. See the Variations Section for more details.
    • Pasta - I used trofie pasta, but any pasta shape featuring folds or crevices to catch and hold the sauce will work great. Smooth pasta shapes, such as spaghetti pasta, are acceptable but they won't do the sauce as much justice.
    • Cilantro - Use fresh cilantro - not dried. I haven't made it with alternate fresh herbs, but you can use Italian flat leaf parsley if you don't care for cilantro.
    • Mexican crema - Mexican crema is Mexican sour cream, and you may also see it labeled Crema Mexicana. Substitute a standard full-fat sour cream or cream cheese for a creamier sauce.
    • Heavy cream - For a lighter version, use whole milk.
    • Bouillon cube - I use Better Than Bouillon, roasted vegetable paste.
    • Queso fresco - This is a soft, fresh Mexican cheese. If you can't find it, use crumbled cotija cheese.

    Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links to products and foods I use in my kitchen. These links mean that at no additional cost, I earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase, which helps support the costs of running this website. To view my entire storefront of recommended kitchen tools and equipment, check out my shop on Amazon.

    🔪 Recommended Equipment

    Having the right equipment for recipes makes prepping much easier. Check out my updated list of favorite kitchen tools and equipment for more fuss-free prepping and cooking ideas.

    • Baking sheet
    • Parchment paper
    • Countertop blender
    • Dutch oven or other heavy-bottomed pot
    • Fine mesh strainer or colander
    • Large skillet

    📝 Instructions Overview

    The recipe card below provides detailed instructions for making this Mexican Green Spaghetti, but here's a quick overview!

    Step 1

    Cook the pasta. Cook the pasta according to the package directions.

    Step 2

    Roast the peppers. Roast the peppers until their skin is charred, then stack them in a container with a lid. Steam for a few minutes to make them easy to peel. Stem, seed, and peel the poblano peppers.

    Step 3

    Blend the peppers. In a high-speed blender, blend the roasted peppers with the cilantro, crema, and milk.

    Step 4

    Make the sauce. Combine the remaining ingredients except the queso fresco in a skillet and add the cooked pasta.

    Serve with crumbled queso fresco on top.

    Small pitcher of creamy poblano sauce.

    I have a jar of this green pasta sauce in the refrigerator now. I'm using it on air fryer potatoes, grains dishes, and as a dressing with white wine vinegar. It's very flexible.

    💡Ideas for Mexican Spaghetti Variations

    • If you prefer more heat in the dish, swap out poblanos for either Serrano peppers or jalapeño peppers. Use the peppers' pith and seeds in the sauce for maximum heat.
    • Peel and slice half a white onion into ½" slices. Place them on the sheet pan with the chiles, drizzle with olive oil, and roast under the broiler. Add the roasted onion slices to the blender with the peppers to purée.

    📇 More Vegetable Pasta Dishes For You

    • Another super easy and delicious pasta dish is tossing cooked pasta with this vegan sun-dried tomato pesto. Top the pasta with freshly grated Parmesan cheese (or use a vegan Parmesan-style cheese) and serve with crusty bread. Serve it warm or at room temperature.
    • Another room-temperature vegetable pasta dish is this Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad. Mexican Street Corn is addictive and a popular street food. This recipe turns it into a pasta salad.
    • For hardier pasta, try this romanesco pasta recipe. The pasta is tossed in a creamy, vegan cauliflower sauce. The pectin in cauliflower helps to make a creamy sauce without any dairy at all.
    • If you grew up with chicken tetrazzini as a kid and loved it, I recommend checking out this vegetarian tetrazzini with cauliflower, kicked up with poblano peppers. I love it so much that I included a version in my cookbook!
    • Another approach to pasta is to mix spaghetti noodles with a pasta sauce and layer with cheese in a casserole, like this Baked Spaghetti Casserole.
    • Lastly, go with this classic spaghetti alla vodka if you want something uber-simple.

    Want to Save This Recipe?

    Enter your email & I'll send it to your inbox. Plus, get great new recipes from me every week!

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    A plate of trofie twisted pasta tossed in a creamy poblano sauce topped with queso fresco cheese.
    4.69 from 32 votes

    Mexican Green Spaghetti (Espagueti Verde)

    Trofie twisted pasta (or spaghetti) tossed with a creamy green poblano sauce made from roasted poblano peppers and Mexican crema (Mexican sour cream, also called Crema Mexicana).
    Print Recipe Save Saved! Pin Recipe Add to Recipe Collection Go to Collections Add to Shopping ListGo to Shopping List
    Prep Time15 minutes mins
    Cook Time32 minutes mins
    Pepper resting time10 minutes mins
    Total Time47 minutes mins
    Course: Pasta, vegetarian main
    Cuisine: American, Mexican
    Keyword: espagueti verde
    Servings: 4
    Calories: 459.7kcal
    Author: Susan Pridmore
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Equipment

    • baking sheet
    • Parchment paper
    • high speed blender
    • Dutch oven or other heavy-bottomed pot
    • fine mesh strainer
    • Large skillet

    Ingredients

    • 4 poblano peppers
    • 8 ounces uncooked pasta I used trofie
    • ½ cup fresh cilantro leaves rinsed and patted dry
    • 1 cup Mexican crema (Mexican sour cream)
    • ½ cup milk
    • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
    • 2 teaspoon minced garlic
    • 1 vegetable bouillon cube or 1 teaspoon Better Than Bouillon Roasted Vegetables
    • ½ teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
    • ¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
    • ½ cup crumbled queso fresco or cotija cheese

    Instructions

    • Arrange the poblano chiles on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Broil until blackened, occasionally turning the peppers to char their skin on all sides.
      Stack them in a plastic bag or container with a lid for a few minutes to make it easy to peel. Peel off the blistered skins, and use a sharp knife to remove the stems and seeds.
      Transfer the peppers to a blender.
    • Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil and cook the pasta al dente according to package directions. Remove from heat, scoop out ¼ cup of the pasta water, set it aside, and drain the pasta in a colander.
    • Add the cilantro, crema, and milk to the peppers in the blender and puree until smooth.
    • Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, for about 30 seconds.
      Stir in the poblano puree, the bouillon cube, salt, and black pepper.
      Fold in the pasta and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes or until heated through. Remove from heat.
    • Toss with crumbled queso fresco or cotija cheese.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 459.7kcal | Carbohydrates: 54.3g | Protein: 14.3g | Fat: 20.8g | Saturated Fat: 6.4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.8g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2.7g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 60.5mg | Sodium: 839.4mg | Potassium: 419.9mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 8.1g | Vitamin A: 1188.8IU | Vitamin C: 96.7mg | Calcium: 248.5mg | Iron: 1.2mg

    Modified from La Cocina de Leslie blog.

    « Chickpea Flour Pancakes with Spinach and Scallions
    What to Cook in February »

    About Susan Pridmore

    Susan Pridmore is an award-winning cookbook author and the owner of The Wimpy Vegetarian. She has been featured in Huffington Post, Healthline, BuzzFeed, and has written for and developed recipes for The Food Network and Parade Magazine. She is professionally trained and focuses on easy vegetarian recipes for busy lives, bread-baking, and tips for new vegetarians. Susan lives in the mountains in Lake Tahoe with her husband and mini-labradoodle.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Liz

      April 04, 2016 at 4:51 am

      Nice and easy. Thank you and have a Wonderful Day!

      Reply
    2. Sid

      April 04, 2016 at 4:53 am

      We love Mexican food here and this looks like a great addition to my repertoire of recipes.

      Reply
    3. SallyBR

      April 04, 2016 at 5:39 am

      Oh, this sauce would go well on ANYTHING if you ask me - I love poblanos with their well-behaved heat and unique flavor

      you are right, having a few things made in the fridge waiting can be a life saver

      Happy Reveal Day!

      Reply
    4. Balvinder

      April 04, 2016 at 7:19 am

      Oh heavens, that poblano sauce looks just dreamy! I have never made pasta with poblano sauce, going to pin!

      Reply
    5. Katie Zeller

      April 04, 2016 at 11:07 am

      I need to start exploring Mexican food.... This looks wonderful!

      Reply
    6. Anna

      April 04, 2016 at 11:33 am

      That sauce sounds amazing! I definitely must try it soon.

      Reply
    7. cheri

      April 04, 2016 at 11:57 am

      5 stars
      Hi Susan, oh I love poblano peppers, this really looks delicious. I bet my husband would not even realize there was no meat in this.

      Reply
    8. Rachael

      April 05, 2016 at 4:06 am

      This sounds great! 🙂

      Reply
    9. Dorothy at Shockingly Delicious

      April 05, 2016 at 8:12 am

      That is exactly my type of sauce, and my type of strategy. Great SRC choice!

      Reply
    10. Kevin | Keviniscooking

      April 06, 2016 at 3:59 pm

      5 stars
      This is just supreme! Love the flavor sAND the photos, thanks!

      Reply
    11. Leigh

      April 07, 2016 at 4:11 pm

      Such a gorgeous colour.

      Reply
    12. laura@motherwouldknow

      April 14, 2016 at 11:58 am

      I love Leslie's blog and this creamy poblano sauce looks amazing. You're so right about needing to have sauces at the ready for a quick weeknight dinner. Now I'll have to master this one to add to my Italian red sauces in the freezer.

      Reply
    13. mjskitchen

      April 20, 2016 at 7:25 pm

      Awesome dish!!! Green is my favorite color. 🙂

      Reply
    14. Nora

      January 06, 2025 at 11:22 am

      5 stars
      For years I've been attempting to clone the mysterious recipe for my favorite salsa from local Mexican restaurant. I happened to be perusing the poblano peppers at the market and a Mexican American woman was alongside me doing the same. I turned to her and asked her how she used them. She whipped out her phone and showed me a recipe similar to this. I've tweaked many through the years but this one is, I must tell you, spot on. The true test was my husband - he goes to the restaurant and buys it by the quart and swears I have mastered the salsa. I'm grateful to you for helping me reach the end of my recipe testing for this salsa. At times I add just a bit of neuchfatel cream cheese, but I've learned that really isn't necessary to make this the creamiest, most delicious salsa EVER!

      Reply
      • Susan Pridmore

        January 08, 2025 at 1:10 pm

        Wow! Thank you so much for the feedback! I really appreciate it and am so happy that it checks all the boxes for you!!

        Reply
    15. Heather

      June 13, 2025 at 5:58 pm

      5 stars
      I had a friend make me green spaghetti a couple years ago and I have been waiting to try it since. I made this last night and it is AMAZING! It has more depth than hers did, I think because of the garlic and bouillon. I did add a jalapeno becuase we like a lot of spice. I have told everyone at work to try this recipe as it is sooooo good! My Latino boyfriend loved it too. Thank you!

      Reply
      • Susan Pridmore

        June 14, 2025 at 11:13 am

        I'm so happy you loved it!! The bouillon adds a lot of flavor - you're absolutely right! Thanks for letting me know 🙂

        Reply
    4.69 from 32 votes (28 ratings without comment)

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    about the author:

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    Hi there! I'm an award-winning cookbook author, culinary school graduate, professional photographer and recipe developer. My cookbook Simply Vegetarian was named #1 best cookbook for new vegetarians, and I want to make it easier for you to cook fabulous vegetarian meals. Come join me in the kitchen!

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