Cheesy Mexican Penne Pasta Recipe With Corn & Poblanos (20 Minutes) by Donna John
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If you love pasta and Mexican food flavors, you are going to adore this simple penne pasta recipe. This quick and easy Mexican pasta recipe combines al dente penne, flavorful poblano peppers and sweet corn, all in a rich, cheesy sauce. Because you cook the vegetables and sauce while the pasta boils, the high-protein dinner is on the table in about 20 minutes.
To make this Mexican-inspired dinner you will need the following ingredients from your fridge and pantry: penne pasta, olive oil, green onions, fresh or frozen corn (check out the health benefits of corn), a poblano pepper (check out the health benefits of poblano peppers), taco seasoning, butter, whole milk, sour cream, colby-jack cheese and optional crispy fried jalapenos.
The crispy fried jalapenos are optional, but I highly recommend sprinkling them on top when serving. They add a wonderful crunch and more Mexican flavor. You can find crispy fried jalapenos on the salad dressing aisle and sometimes in the produce section near the bagged salads.
Serve the cheesy vegetarian pasta for dinner with your favorite side dishes, or as a side dish with chicken, pork or beef. We added a salad drizzled with creamy salsa dressing (a Chick-fil-a copycat recipe). The amounts here are for two servings, but you can easily double it to feed the family.
Cuisine: American / Mexican / Tex-Mex
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 2
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups penne pasta (uncooked)
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 2 green onions, chopped
- 1 poblano pepper, seeds removed and sliced or chopped
- 1/3 cup fresh or frozen corn
- 1 tablespoon taco seasoning
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup shredded colby-jack cheese
- crispy fried jalapenos (optional)
Here's how to make it:
- Cook the pasta in boiling water until al dente, about 10 to 12 minutes. Drain and reserve 1/4 cup of the pasta water. (You can use any short pasta that you like, but adjust cooking time. For a gluten-free dinner, use gluten-free pasta.)
- While the pasta cooks, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the corn, poblanos, green onion and taco seasoning. Season with salt and pepper, if desired.
- Cook, stirring occasionally, until poblanos soften and corn begins to lightly brown, about 5 minutes.
- Add the butter, milk, sour cream, cheese and reserved pasta water.
- Cook, stirring, until the sauce gets creamy and thickens up a bit, about 2 minutes.
- Add the pasta and stir until well combined. Cook a bit longer if you want a thicker sauce. (If you want to add a protein, stir in some cooked chicken, diced steak or seasoned ground beef.)
- Serve the pasta topped with crispy fried jalapenos, if desired. This recipe can easily be doubled for four servings. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge and reheat in the microwave.
Recipe cooking times, nutritional information and servings are approximate and provided for your convenience. However, 30Seconds is not responsible for the outcome of any recipe, nor may you have the same results because of variations in ingredients, temperatures, altitude, errors, omissions or cooking/baking abilities. Any nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and it is up to the individual to ascertain accuracy. To ensure image quality, we may occasionally use stock photography.
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