Pasta in Roasted Poblano Cheddar Cream Sauce is easy and quick enough for a weeknight meal, but flavorful and fancy enough for guests.
I’m in the middle of a month-long gluten-free eating experiment. To be honest, I’m equal parts hoping it will resolve some health issues and also hoping it doesn’t so I don’t have to give up all things gluten-full. I don’t want to buy a lot of expensive (holy cow, gluten-free products cost a lot) gluten-free products, but I knew I needed to have a few things on hand for quick meals.
One of the things I bought was gluten-free pasta so, naturally, I had to make this Pasta in Roasted Poblano Cheddar Cream Sauce. The sauce is thickened with starchy pasta water instead of flour, so it doesn’t get thick and gloopy, rather it stays the perfect consistency to carry the roasted peppers and coat the pasta.
Pasta in Roasted Poblano Cheddar Cream Sauce
Ingredients
2 poblano peppers
16 oz. pasta (rotini is my favorite)
4 tbs butter
4 tbs minced garlic
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
2 cups heavy cream
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 tsp black pepper
pinch of red pepper flakes
Instructions
Slice poblano peppers in half lengthwise and remove the seeds and stem. Place them cut side down on a baking sheet and place under a broiler for 7 to 10 minutes, or until peppers are blackened. Remove from the oven, place in a bowl, and cover with plastic wrap. Let the peppers sweat for five minutes and then peel the blackened skin off. Dice the roasted poblanos.
Cook the pasta according to package instructions. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic to the melted butter and cook three to five minutes, stirring frequently, until garlic is golden. Add the poblanos and stir together. Add the Parmesan, cream, and cheddar. Stir constantly and thoroughly until cheeses are melted and then stir in the pepper and the red pepper flakes.
Add two spoonfuls of the pasta water (after the pasta has cooked) to the sauce and let the sauce simmer for two minutes. Add the drained pasta to the sauce, mix well to combine, and serve warm.
Tools I Used
Notes
I made this recipe with gluten free pasta and, since the sauce is not thickened with flour, it’s a gluten free dish.
Buying a block of cheese and shredding it is preferable to buying pre-shredded, which tends to not melt well.
You could obviously add protein to the pasta, or serve it alongside a protein.
Love pasta? You’ve got to check out One-Pan Sausage & Tortellini and Five Cheese Macaroni and Cheese.