Those who have followed my blog for awhile, might have noticed that I love using chipotles in adobo sauce. I always have a few cans in the pantry and love finding new ways of using them. The canned chipotles in adobo are jalapeno peppers that have been ripened until they are red; after ripening the peppers are then smoked and pickled. The chipotle peppers can be used in a wide range of recipes, including pasta like the recipe that I am sharing with you today!

This Vegan Chipotle Spaghetti is a fun spin on classic spaghetti. Pasta is actually quite popular in Mexico. Typically you’ll find pasta cooked in a tomato sauce made from just tomatoes, a little white onion, and garlic. I used that as my inspiration for this recipe. This recipe uses the Mexican chipotles in adobo sauce to give the sauce a smoky, sweet, and spicy flavor. You can add as much as you like; I tend to use just 1 whole pepper and a tablespoon of the sauce; this is just the right amount of heat for me.

Since tomatoes aren’t in season right now in Michigan, I used canned fire-roasted tomatoes. Whenever I use canned tomatoes, I go for the fire-roasted ones because I find that they have lots of deep and rich tomatoes flavor.

Rather than using Mexican crema, which is traditionally used in many pasta dishes in Mexico, a vegan cashew cream is used. This adds a really nice richness to the sauce. I wanted to keep the pasta gluten-free, so I used a brown rice + quinoa spaghetti from Trader Joe’s. Sometimes gluten-free pasta doesn’t hold up too well, but Trader Joe’s brand had a really nice texture to it.

I like to serve the Vegan Chipotle Spaghetti with some avocado slices. I find this helps to balance out the flavors in the sauce. Plus, I just really love avocados. As the pasta sits, it will thicken up quite a bit. Simply add in a splash of vegetable stock or water to loosen up the pasta.

Yield: 4-6

Vegan Chipotle Spaghetti

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A creamy and rich vegan + gluten-free spaghetti. Rather than using Mexican crema or sour cream, a vegan cashew cream is used to create a creaminess and richness. To keep the pasta gluten-free, a brown rice + quinoa blend spaghetti is used. I bought mine at Trader Joe's. For a little bit of kick, chipotle peppers in adobo sauce are added to the sauce; adding a unique flavor the the tomato sauce.

Prep Time 2 hours

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 2 hours 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 1/2 Cup Raw Cashews
• 1/2 Cup Water
• 2- 14.5 Canned Fire Roasted Tomatoes, undrained
• 1/4 of a Large White Onion
• 2 Garlic Cloves
• 1-2 Whole Chipotle Peppers in Adobo, plus 1 Tablespoon of their sauce
• 3/4 Tsp Salt
• 1/4 Tsp Black Pepper
• 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
• 1 Bay Leaf
• 1/2 Tsp Oregano
• 1/2-1 Tsp Sugar
• 1 Pound Gluten-Free Spaghetti

For Serving:

• Chopped Cilantro
• Avocado Slices, optional

Instructions

1. Soak the cashews in water for at least two hours. Drain and transfer to a blender. Add in the 1/2 cup water and blend until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and rinse out the blender.
2. In the rinsed blender jar, add in the canned fire-roasted tomatoes, onion, garlic, chipotle pepper and sauce, salt, and pepper. Blend until smooth.
3. In a large and wide skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, carefully stir in the blended tomato sauce. Reduce heat to medium.
4. Add the bay leaf, oregano, and sugar. I like to start with 1/2 tsp of sugar and add more if needed. The sugar helps to balance out the acidity in the tomatoes. Cover and lower heat to a simmer. Cook for 10 minutes, occasionally stirring.
5. Stir in the reserved cashew cream and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Remove the bay leaf.
6. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Heavily salt the water and cook pasta according to package directions. Once the pasta is al dente, reserve 1 cup of the pasta cooking water and drain the pasta. Add the drained pasta directly into the sauce.
7. Cook the pasta with the sauce for 1-2 additional minutes. If the sauce is too thick, add in a little bit of the reserved cooking liquid.
8. Serve immediately with the chopped cilantro and avocado slices if using.

Notes

The pasta will thicken up as it sits. If this happens, simply add in a splash of vegetable broth or water to loosen up the sauce.

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Happy Wednesday!
Jeni