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Pasta with Roasted Poblano Sauce
This is a simplified spin on a recipe from “Oaxaca” by Bricia Lopez, co-proprietor of Guelaguetza restaurant in Los Angeles. Roasted poblano chilies give the pasta a pleasant, earthy heat, while Mexican crema and milk add a richness that balances. If you cannot find crema, crème fraîche, though thicker, is the next best option (skip sour cream as it breaks when heated).
4-6
Servings
Tip
Don’t boil the pasta until al dente. Drain it when it’s just shy of al dente; it will finish cooking directly in the sauce. But don’t forget to save about 1 cup of the pasta water before draining. You’ll need some of it to make the sauce.
40 minutes
Ingredients
-
8
ounces poblano chilies
-
1
pound bucatini OR spaghetti
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It's a fine dish, but not flavorful enough to shove aside so many other great pasta dishes -- especially as roasting and peeling the poblanos makes it a bit more fiddly than other simple, tastier sauces.
If I were to make it again, I'd fry off the onions with a couple of cloves of crushed garlic, until translucent, before putting them in the blender. The garlic and a touch of caramelization might do wonders for the flavor profile of the sauce. Also: Would use stock in place of the reserved pasta water added at the end.