Photo by Alan Lopez for Remezcla
Pasta isn’t normally considered a Latino or Latin American dish. But some countries have adopted the Italian staple and turned it into delicious concoctions with ingredients such as maduros, chiles, and salami. The traditions associated with each dish are varied. For example, Dominicans are known for taking their spaghetti to the beach, while Argentinians eat their traditional ñoquis on the 29th of every month.
Regardless of the traditions associated with each dish, it’s clear most Latinos and Latin Americans have never met a pasta dish they didn’t like. Here are some of the most amazing Latin American pasta dishes out there.
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Chile poblano is a common food in Mexico, but combining it with spaghetti is a whole new experience. Think of it as a pesto pasta but way spicier, as chile poblano is one of the hotter iterations of peppers. The recipe involves making a sauce out of the chile poblano and mixing it with traditional spaghetti.
Dominicans eat their spaghetti with garlic, onions, homemade tomato sauce, and salami, but they will also add other ingredients if the mood strikes. In fact, it’s a common beach day dish for this community, accompanied by pan sobao or pan de agua on the side.
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In the Dominican Republic, sardines are a traditional complement for pasta. It’s usually a salty and spicy mix of sardines and chile de árbol, along with tomato sauce, olive oil, onions, and garlic.
Fideos secos – which roughly translates to dry noodles – are a traditional Mexican pasta dish cooked with chipotle. The fideos are boiled in water, as you would any pasta, and then fried in a saucepan with olive oil. The dish is finished with a chipotle sauce that’s baked in the oven, along with the fideos, for about 15 minutes.
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Uruguay is one of the Latin American countries with the most Italian influence. One of the dishes influenced by these traditions is the pasta with caruso sauce, which is made out of cream, nuts, mushrooms, ham, and cheese. It’s typically served with the pasta of your choice.
The tradition in Argentina is to each ñoqui – aka gnocchis – every 29th day of the month. This practice goes back to Italy and requires people to put a dollar bill underneath the plate for good luck. The ñoquis are potato-infused pasta that’s mostly served with tomato sauce.
Think of tallarines verdes as the Peruvian pesto. This spaghetti recipe is prepared with basil, cheese, spinach, and onion in a green sauce combined with noodles. While it may looks similar to espaguetis verdes, this recipe is rooted in Peru and does not involve any type of chile.