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Ziti with Poblanos and Chipotle Sauce

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Ziti with Poblanos and Chipotle SauceRomulo Yanes

If the famed Italian-American noodle took a trip to the Southwest, it might come back looking a little like this. With a creamy sauce and a duo of chiles that adds smoke and spice, this pasta is packed with flavor.

Recipe information

  • Total Time

    45 min

  • Yield

    Makes 6 to 8 servings

Ingredients

1

large onion, thinly sliced (2 1/4 cups)

1

/2 pound fresh poblano chiles, stemmed, seeded, and thinly sliced lengthwise

2

tablespoons olive oil

1

cup chopped bottled roasted red peppers

1

pound ziti or penne

1

tablespoon chopped canned chipotles in adobo

1

1/2 cups sour cream

1

cup chopped scallions (about 1 bunch)

1

/4 cup chopped cilantro

Garnish:

raw green (hulled) pumpkin seeds (pepitas), toasted

Need to make a substitution?

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Cook onion, poblanos, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in oil in a heavy medium pot over medium heat, covered, stirring occasionally, until onion is golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Add red peppers and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is tender, 2 to 3 minutes.

    Step 2

    Meanwhile, cook ziti in a pasta pot of boiling salted water (2 tablespoons salt for 6 quarts water) until al dente. Reserve 1 cup cooking water, then drain ziti.

    Step 3

    While ziti cooks, purée chipotles with sour cream in a blender.

    Step 4

    Add purée to onion mixture with scallions, cilantro, 1/4 cup cooking water, and 1/2 teaspoon salt and bring to a simmer, stirring. Add ziti and toss, moistening with additional cooking water if desired. Season with salt.