Skip to main content
Epicurious
Cookbooks

Mexican Pasta Surprise

Image may contain Food Plant Cutlery and Spoon
Photo by Jennifer Davick

This spicy vegetarian pasta is packed with heat from chipotle chile powder and fresh jalapeños. Pinto beans and canned tomatoes round out the dish and make it extremely easy to put together.

Cooks' notes

Cook the pasta until it is just tender; do not overcook. This dish may be prepared ahead of time and refrigerated until baking. You will need to add 10 to 15 minutes to the baking time. Chipotle chili powder is quite spicy. If you can’t find it or would like a less spicy version, use regular chili powder instead.

See Related Recipes and Cooking Tips

Read More
Frijoles de la Olla Ramen (Mexican Stewed Beans)
Traditionally, this Mexican staple is simmered for hours in an olla, or clay pot. You can achieve a similar result by using canned beans and instant ramen.
Spaghetti With Poblano Chile Sauce
Mexican pasta probably isn’t something you’ve thought about before, but this poblano sauce may have you rethinking your devotion to the red variety.
Sofrito Bolognese
An ex-boyfriend’s mom—who emigrated from Colombia—made the best meat sauce—she would fry sofrito for the base and simply add cooked ground beef, sazón, and jarred tomato sauce. My version is a bit more bougie—it calls for caramelized tomato paste and white wine—but the result is just as good.
Pasta Alla Mezcal
This marinara sauce is great tossed with any pasta for a quick and easy weeknight dinner that will leave you thinking, “Why didn’t anyone try this sooner?”
Halloumi Lasagna
In this lasagna, soft layers of pasta and béchamel are interspersed with a rich tomato sauce laden with hearty Mediterranean vegetables.
Smoky Tofu Shakshuka
This vegan version of the classic North African scramble uses soft silken tofu instead of eggs without any sacrifice of flavor.
Smothered Italian Sausage
This is what I call a fridge-eater recipe. The key here is getting a nice sear on the sausage and cooking the tomato down until it coats the sausage and vegetables well.
Smothered Italian Sausage
This is what I call a fridge-eater recipe. The key here is getting a nice sear on the sausage and cooking the tomato down until it coats the sausage and vegetables well.