This green spaghetti is the perfect twist on your classic family pasta night.
What is Green Spaghetti?
This Mexican green spaghetti is not related to that green colored pasta you can find at your local grocery store. Green spaghetti gets its green color from its creamy poblano sauce. With charred poblano peppers, you can create a pasta sauce that has deep, traditional Mexican flavors.
And even though this dish is “lightened up”, the flavors are bold and the sauce is creamy enough to give you that comforting bowl of pasta feel. You save calories by using a non-fat greek yogurt and light cheese instead of full-fat crema or sour cream.
A big plus – the kids will love getting to eat “green” food! And because it’s a mild pepper, it won’t be too spicy for the kids. You can also easily sneak in some protein with the variation listed below. It turns into an easy, fully balanced meal that you can incorporate into the weekly menu.
Three reasons why you need to try Green Spaghetti
- It’s a great break from the same old spaghetti.
Traditional spaghetti with red pasta sauce is such an easy dish that it usually gets put on the weekly menu. After weeks in a row, though, you’re ready for a break. You don’t have to give up the ease of making dinner with this recipe! It’s easy and offers a punch of new flavors to your favorite pasta night.
- Guilt-free indulgence.
A big bowl of pasta is usually high calorie, high carb and high fat. With this lightened-up Mexican Green Spaghetti, you can have your bowl of pasta without feeling guilty. Not only is the dish nutrient-packed, but it’s lighter on calories as well.
- It’s easy to add protein.
The low-fat cheese and non-fat greek yogurt in this recipe reduce calories and add a bit of protein. You can easily balance this meal by adding pre-cooked or rotisserie chicken before baking. It quickly becomes a one-dish dinner!
Ingredients you need to make Mexican Green Spaghetti:
- 1 lb whole wheat spaghetti (9 ww points per serving)
- 4 green poblano peppers
- Cooking spray
- 2 tomatoes, chopped
- 1 cup spinach
- 2 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1 cup reserved pasta water
- 1 cup light mozzarella cheese (3 ww points per serving)
- 3 oz light or non-fat Greek yogurt
- Salt and pepper to taste
How to Make Green Spaghetti (Step-By-Step Instructions):
- Roast the green poblano peppers in a frying pan over high heat, until they are black on the outside. Add to a plastic bag, seal, and let sweat for 10 minutes. Remove from the bag and remove the skin and the seeds.
2. Cook the whole wheat spaghetti by package instructions. Drain – do not rinse – and set aside. Don’t forget to reserve 1 cup of the pasta water.
3. While the spaghetti is boiling, saute the onion, garlic, tomatoes, and spinach in a skillet for 5 minutes.
4. In a blender add the green peppers, sauteed vegetables, chicken stock, reserved pasta water, Greek yogurt, cumin, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Blend until smooth.
5. Add the blended sauce to a pan and bring to a boil then lower heat to medium. Let simmer for 5 minutes. Add more salt and pepper to taste.
6. Add the cooked spaghetti to the sauce and mix well. Transfer to a baking dish or a cast iron pan, and top with mozzarella cheese. Bake or broil until the cheese is melted. Serve and enjoy.
Makes 4 servings. Nutrition info per serving: 494 calories, 6.6 g fat, 85 g carbs, 8.6 g fiber, 10 g sugar, 24 g protein. 12 ww points per serving.
Healthy Green Spaghetti Variations:
- Turn up the heat! Poblanos are a very mild pepper. If you like spicy food, then try adding serrano or jalapeno peppers to the sauce.
- Sneak in some veggies! Frozen cauliflower rice is a great addition. Add it to the blender before pureeing all the veggies. It will add quite a bit of thickness- which can help with the creamy texture. And it’s flavorless, so the Mexican flavors will still come through. You may need to add a bit more chicken stock to help it blend.
- Don’t have poblano peppers, and also don’t want it spicy? You can use green bell peppers.
- Increase the protein content by adding shredded rotisserie chicken into the green spaghetti before baking it with the cheese on top.
- Dress it up: top the baked casserole with chopped cilantro and lime wedges. Not only will these garnishes enhance the presentation, but they’ll add flavor as well.
Tips and Tricks for Making Green Spaghetti
- Roasting Peppers – Gas Stove: Place the peppers directly on top of the open flame, and let them roast (turning them over on each side) until they are completely charred.
- Roasting Peppers – Oven: Cover a sheet tray with foil and place the peppers on top. Broil in the oven on high. Turn peppers over until they are charred on all sides.
- If you don’t have a ziplock bag to sweat the peppers, you can use a bowl. Just make sure the top is firmly covered with plastic wrap so that no hot air escapes.
- Don’t skip on the pasta water! The starch from the pasta water helps thicken the sauce. If you forget, regular water is fine, just start with a smaller amount – ½ cup – and gradually add more water if the sauce is too thick.
- Make-Ahead Version: Make the full recipe up to the point of baking in the oven. Once you put the spaghetti in a casserole dish, cover with the cheese then aluminum foil or plastic wrap. Store in the fridge overnight or up to 2 days. Once you’re ready for dinner, bake in the oven for 30 minutes at 350 degrees so that it’s completely heated through.
Similar recipes you’ll enjoy:
- Giant Cheese Stuffed Shells
- Asiago Tortelloni Alfredo with Grilled Chicken
- Chicken Parmesan Spaghetti Bake
- 20 Tempting Weight Watchers Pasta Recipes
- Roasted Poblano Salsa
Green Spaghetti with Creamy Poblano Salsa
Ingredients
- 1 lb whole wheat spaghetti
- 4 poblano peppers
- Cooking spray
- 2 Tomatoes , chopped
- 1 cup spinach
- 2 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp  garlic powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1 cup reserved pasta water
- 1 cup light mozzarella cheese
- 3 oz non-fat greek yogurt
- pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Roast the poblano peppers in a frying pan over high heat, until they are black on the outside. Add to a plastic bag, seal, and let sweat for 10 minutes. Remove from the bag and remove the skin and the seeds.
- Cook the whole wheat spaghetti by package instructions. Drain - do not rinse - and set aside. Don’t forget to reserve 1 cup of the pasta water.
- While the spaghetti is boiling, saute the onion, garlic, tomatoes, and spinach in a skillet for 5 minutes.
- In a blender add the green peppers, sauteed vegetables, chicken stock, reserved pasta water, Greek yogurt, cumin, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Blend until smooth.
- Add the blended sauce to a pan and bring to a boil then lower heat to medium. Let simmer for 5 minutes. Add more salt and pepper to taste.
- Add the cooked spaghetti to the sauce and mix well. Transfer to a baking dish or a cast iron pan, and top with mozzarella cheese. Bake or broil until the cheese is melted. Serve and enjoy.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
