Fideos Secos - Mexican Tomato Pasta

Ingredients for 3 - 4 main or 6 sides:

• 4 tbl canola or light oil

• 8 oz thin pasta, labeled as angel hair, vermicelli, or fideos*

  • *Note: If you find actual fideos, they may come in a 7 oz bag, which is perfect for this recipe without any adjustments to the other ingredients.

  • Be sure to break up the pasta if it comes in a nest shape.

• 3 cloves garlic

• 1/4 white onion

• 1/2 tsp ground cumin

• 1 chile chipotle in adobo sauce* (for some heat). Dice the chile very finely, like a paste.

  • If not available add 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes for a little heat, or omit it if you don’t want heat.

• 1 cup (8 oz) homemade tomato puree (see below)

  • A blend of 4 roma tomatoes, onion, garlic, cumin and chipotle chile to the blender, and blend until smooth

  • If not using fresh tomatoes, use 1 can (15 oz) of diced tomatoes blended with the garlic, onion, cumin and chipotle chile, until smooth

• 1 cup chicken stock or vegetable stock to keep it vegetarian

  • Note: If no chicken stock available use 1 chicken bullion cube or 1 tsp chicken paste (like “Better then bullion”) mixed into 1 cup of water

• 1 tsp salt

• 1/2 tsp pepper

Garnishes:

• 1 Avocado, sliced or cubed

• 4 tbl Crema Mexicana

  • Note: if Crema is not available use 2 generous tbl sour cream mixed with 3 tbl whipping cream, mixed until a smooth consistency is achieved. It needs to be just thin enough to drizzle over the finished pasta.

• Crumbled cheese; Cotija Mexican cheese is traditional, Feta is a good second choice, Parmesan is also an option.

• 2 tbl finely chopped cilantro, or parsley if cilantro is not on hand

Preparation:

I’ve made this a one-skillet recipe (plus the blender). The greatest challenge for me when preparing this dish, is using too much heat. I tend to start cooking very hot. The technique in the recipe is all in the toasting of the pasta, the garlic and onions. It has to be gentle so that it does not burn yet hot enough to give your pasta a good toasting.

Make the tomato puree:

In a blender, add 4 roma tomatoes, about 1 lb, or the can of diced tomatoes with the garlic, onion and chipotle pepper and cumin. Blend until smooth. This will go directly into the fideos when it’s time.

Toast the fideos:

Heat oil in a large skillet on medium heat. The skillet has to be large enough and deep enough to allow all the liquid which will be added, and the fideos to toast evenly without being too crowded. You will also need to be able to cover it with a secure lid. The larger the skillet, the easier it is to toast the fideos.

Add all the dry, uncooked, broken up fideos to the hot skillet with oil to toast/brown. If they begin to brown too quickly, lower the heat.

Keep the fideos moving so that all the pasta is toasted evenly. This could take 5-10 minutes, but it’s important to toast all the pasta so it holds its shape and doesn’t get mushy when cooked with liquid.

When fideos are evenly toasted, add the tomato puree, salt and pepper. Expect a big sizzle and a fabulous aroma.

Blend the tomato mixture into the fideos to ensure they are covered evenly. This will also give the tomato puree time to cook, about 2 minutes.

Add the stock and gently mix to incorporate and to ensure pasta is not sticking to the bottom of the skillet. I use a rubber spatula so I don’t break the pasta.

Cover and let simmer gently for 10 minutes.

After 10 minutes, test fideos for doneness. They should be cooked, with little or no liquid remaining. They may be a little firm, and there could be some sticking to the bottom of the skillet. This will be corrected in the next step.

Cover the skillet, off the heat for 5 minutes. Any sticky bits should have been loosened. If you want them less dry or “seco”, now is the time to add a little bit of water and let it absorb while the pasta rests.

Serve with garnishes; Avocado slices, drizzle the crema over the top, crumbled cheese and minced cilantro.