Creamy Chipotle Pasta

Mildly spicy angel hair pasta tossed with vegetables in a very light cream sauce creates this Creamy Chipotle Pasta. This recipe makes my tastebuds so very happy.

For a girl that doesn’t often crave pasta, I’ve been on a roll with it lately. Between this dish and the Creamy Stovetop Mac and Cheese, I have been eating a whole lot of pasta lately and loving every bite.

My children gave this pasta two thumbs up the second time I made it – after solidly vetoing it with kale added to the mix. That said, I really liked it with kale and with spinach both.

It totally worked in my favor that they weren’t the biggest fans, because it meant that I was able to keep the leftovers for myself!

Chipotle Pasta

From the unexpected heat of the chipotle pepper to the heartiness of the vegetables, this is a great dish for lunch or dinner.

The vegetables in this recipe can be swapped out for your favorites without affecting the results much. My whole family loves bell peppers, mushrooms, and onions, so those three vegetables tend to be the trifecta of happy vegetable eating for my guys.

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I use whichever peppers are on hand and if I have kale or spinach in the house, I typically toss it in too. If you prefer broccoli to peppers or just plain hate mushrooms, switch things out for your tastes.

Swap in or out your favorite vegetables to guarantee that this will be a recipe your family will love too. And for a heartier meal for the meat lovers, this is awesome with a pound of sausage or grilled chicken added to the pasta.

Creamy Chipotle Pasta Recipe

1. Place a pot of water on the stove and bring it to a boil. Add about a tablespoon of salt to the water and then cook the pasta until it is tender. Scoop out a bit of the cooking water and set it aside prior to draining the pasta.
2. While the pasta is cooking, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and saute for about 4-5 minutes, until they are lightly browned. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
3. Add the bell peppers and mushrooms and stir to combine. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper. Saute for 2-3 minutes until they are hot and slightly tender, but still a bit crisp.
4. While the vegetables are finishing, whisk together the cream, the chipotle pepper, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and the oregano. Add the cream mixture to the hot skillet and stir to coat the vegetables.
5. Let it cook for about a minute and then add the pasta to the skillet with all of the vegetables. Toss to combine and then continue tossing and stirring the skillet while allowing the sauce to finish thickening for about a minute until it is coating the pasta and vegetables.
6. Add a splash or two of the pasta water to the skillet, if the pasta seems dry. (If you forgot to reserve the pasta water, use a splash of cream.) Serve immediately.

Do you love chipotle peppers as much as we do? You’ll want to try this Chipotle Chicken Marinade too!

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Chipotle Pasta

Mary Younkin

Mildly spicy angel hair pasta tossed with vegetables in a very light cream sauce creates this Creamy Chipotle Pasta.

Servings: 4 servings

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Ingredients 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 8 ounces angel hair pasta (reserve 1/4 cup pasta water)
• ▢ 1-2 teaspoons olive oil
• ▢ 1 medium yellow onion sliced into thin strips
• ▢ 1 large garlic clove minced
• ▢ 1 red bell pepper sliced into 1″ matchsticks
• ▢ 6-8 ounces button or baby bella mushrooms quartered
• ▢ Optional: 1 cup chopped kale leaves or baby spinach
• ▢ 1 teaspoon kosher salt divided
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper divided
• ▢ 1/4 cup heavy cream
• ▢ 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce finely minced
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• ▢ 1/4 cup pasta cooking water reserved for use as needed

Instructions 

• Place a pot of water on the stove and bring it to a boil. Add about a tablespoon of salt to the water and then cook the pasta until it is tender. Scoop out a bit of the cooking water and set it aside prior to draining the pasta.
• While the pasta is cooking, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and saute for about 4-5 minutes, until they are lightly browned. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
• Add the bell peppers and mushrooms and stir to combine. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper. Saute for 2-3 minutes until they are hot and slightly tender, but still a bit crisp.
• While the vegetables are finishing, whisk together the cream, the chipotle pepper, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and the oregano. Add the cream mixture to the hot skillet and stir to coat the vegetables.
• Let it cook for about a minute and then add the pasta to the skillet with all of the vegetables. Toss to combine and then continue tossing and stirring the skillet while allowing the sauce to finish thickening for about a minute until it is coating the pasta and vegetables.
• Add a splash or two of the pasta water to the skillet, if the pasta seems dry. (If you forgot to reserve the pasta water, use a splash of cream.) Serve immediately. Enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories: 282 kcal | Carbohydrates: 45 g | Protein: 8 g | Fat: 7 g | Saturated Fat: 4 g | Cholesterol: 20 mg | Sodium: 592 mg | Potassium: 200 mg | Fiber: 3 g | Sugar: 3 g | Vitamin A: 1150 IU | Vitamin C: 38 mg | Calcium: 26 mg | Iron: 1 mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Did you make this? Leave a comment below!

{originally published 5/8/13 – recipe notes and photos updated 1/25/21}