Mexican Pasta with Vegetables and Cheese Recipe
This dish is a bit like Italian pasta, but instead of basil and Parmesan you get cumin, chili and coriander. Colorful pasta with vegetables and cheese is an easy way to pack a lot of veggies into one plate. It’s perfect as a quick weekday dinner when you want to feed the whole family from one pot or pan.
This pasta combines the comfort of familiar Italian-style pasta with the bold flavors of Mexican cooking: cumin, chili, corn and fresh coriander. Thanks to plenty of vegetables and stretchy cheese, you get a dish that’s hearty and colorful, yet cooked in just one pan.
Chef's tips
Cook the pasta truly al dente, because it will continue to cook briefly in the sauce and can easily become overcooked, especially if you use smaller shapes. Reserve some of the cooking water – the starch in it helps bind the sauce to the pasta and makes the cheese form a creamy coating instead of clumps. If you’re cooking for kids or people sensitive to heat, start with a minimal amount of hot paprika and adjust at the table.
How to serve
Serve this pasta straight from the pan while the cheese is still very stretchy, with extra fresh coriander or parsley for those who like it. To drink, lightly sparkling water with lime or a simple red wine works well for a weekday evening. It’s a convenient dish for a busy day when, after a workout or a long commute, you want to quickly feed several people from one pot.
Ingredients
- penne or fusilli pasta - 300 g
- zucchini cut into half-slices - 1 piece
- yellow bell pepper cut into strips - 1 piece
- onion sliced - 1 piece
- garlic chopped - 2 cloves
- canned chopped tomatoes one can - 400 g
- canned corn drained - 150 g
- yellow cheese grated, e.g. cheddar or gouda - 100 g
- vegetable oil for frying - 2 tablespoon
- ground cumin - 0.5 teaspoon
- sweet paprika, ground - 1 teaspoon
- hot paprika, ground or more to taste - 0.25 teaspoon
- salt or to taste - 1 teaspoon
- black pepper, ground - 0.25 teaspoon
- fresh coriander (cilantro) chopped, for serving - 0.25 bunch
Preparation
- Cook the pasta in plenty of salted water according to the package instructions until al dente, soft but still slightly firm to the bite. Drain, reserving about half a cup of the cooking water.
- While the pasta is cooking, heat the oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the onion and fry for 3–4 minutes until it softens and becomes slightly translucent but not browned.
- Add the garlic, zucchini and pepper. Fry for 6–8 minutes, stirring often, until the vegetables soften but are still slightly crunchy.
- Sprinkle in the cumin, sweet paprika and hot paprika, stir and cook for about 1 more minute so the spices heat up and become fragrant.
- Add the canned tomatoes and corn, stir and cook over medium heat for 5–7 minutes until the sauce thickens slightly. Season with salt and pepper.
- Add the cooked pasta to the sauce in the pan. Mix thoroughly; if the sauce seems too thick, add a few tablespoons of the pasta cooking water to make everything creamier.
- Add most of the grated cheese (reserve a little for sprinkling on top) and stir over low heat until the cheese melts and coats the pasta and vegetables.
- Finally, sprinkle the dish with the remaining cheese and fresh coriander (cilantro). Serve immediately while the cheese is still stretchy.
Storage
Keep leftovers in the fridge in a sealed container for up to 2 days. Reheat gently in a pan or microwave, adding a splash of water so the sauce becomes creamy again.
