Abridged from
El Restaurante Mexicano
Spring 2001
Cover photo by Lois Ellen Frank
Mexican Pastas
Noodles get a new twist with chiles, herbs and spices that add Hispanic flair.
By Kathleen Furore
Editor, El Restaurante Mexicano
©2001 Maiden Name Press LLC
When Garduño's Restaurants rolled out new menus in early February, pasta was an important part of the Albuquerque-based chain's updated offerings.
"I've been with the company for 23 years, and we started with basic Mexican food," corporate chef Lorenzo Gomez explains. "But we wanted to be trend-setters – to lead rather than to follow. So we decided to move forward with some pasta dishes."
Part of that decision stemmed from the popularity of the pasta introduced at the company's newest venture, Garduño's Blue Agave Margarita Plant and Chile Bar (one in Las Vegas, Nev., one in Albuquerque, and one slated to open soon in Phoenix, Ariz.). Gomez also had used pastas as specials at the six other Albuquerque Garduño's in the past. "We just put a different flavor to it – we give our own twist with Mexican spices."
As Garduño's has discovered, pasta – always an Italian favorite – makes sense on Mexican menus. It's one of the most popular foods in America, according to National Pasta Association statistics that show 84 percent of consumers consider pasta to be a healthy food that's an important part of a well-balanced diet. Seventy-seven percent of 1,003 Americans surveyed said they eat pasta at least once a week, while a full third eat it three or more times weekly, the NPA reports. It's also inexpensive, which means it's good for a restaurant's bottom line. "It's not very high cost, so profits and margins are very profitable on any pasta dish," notes Gomez, who prices Garduño's pastas between $6.95 and $9.95.
Pasta even has historical ties to Mexico: No one thought to put tomato sauce on pasta until the explorer Cortés brought tomatoes back to Europe from Mexico in 1519, the NPA says.
"New Cooking from Old Mexico"
"Mexicans are not strangers to pasta," writes Carlotta Flores in "El Charro Café: The Tastes and Traditions of Tucson" (Fisher Books, 1998). Fideo – vermicelli-like noodles used in soups and as side dishes – is the most popular pasta in Mexico, though macaroni, shells, lasagna, fettuccine, spaghetti and ravioli are frequently used, Flores, owner of Tucson's El Charro Café, says.
The restaurant offers Sopa Seca de Fideo (translation: dry soup). The dish – made with chicken or beef stock, garlic, onion, bell pepper, tomato and cheese – more closely resembles a pasta stew, and is served as a light entree or side dish, Flores notes.
Mexican food expert Jim Peyton, author of "New Cooking from Old Mexico" (Red Crane Books, 1999) is another fan of Mexican pastas. "For restaurants, they're absolutely terrific. Pasta has a low food cost and is easier to prepare than most Mexican dishes – there's no rolling," Peyton notes. "In 'nueva style' Mexican cooking I'm seeing pasta more and more. I think it's something restaurants could start introducing."
One of Peyton's favorites, which he's seen during his south-of-the-border travels: Pasta Arriero, or Mule Driver's Pasta. "Mule drivers were how things got transported in northern Mexico," he explains.
In the traditional version, spaghetti is tossed with garlic, olive oil, butter, chiles and grated cheese. The "nueva" recipe features sun-dried tomatoes, cilantro and other herbs.
Cream sauces, too, work well with Mexican pasta. "If you add chipotle to any Italian cream sauce it makes it Southwestern," Peyton says.
That's exactly what Gomez did when creating Garduño's Red Chipotle Chicken Pasta. That dish – fettuccine noodles topped with a sauce made of heavy cream, red chile sauce, chipotle sauce and Parmesan cheese and served with seasoned chicken strips (or shrimp) – was introduced as a special and so requested that Gomez made it a regular offering on the new menu. Another Garduño's favorite: Pasta with Cilantro Cream Sauce and Chicken (or shrimp).
Chipotle also flavors the Sweet Potato Ravioli with White Bean and Poblano Relish, Mushroom Essence and Balsamic Glaze from Chef Bobby Flay of New York's acclaimed Mesa Grill, BOLO and Mesa City, Flay adds the ethnic touch by using chipotle pepper purée in the ravioli filling, and roasted poblano peppers in the relish that tops the pasta.
Other pastas to consider adding as specials or regular menu items: Green Chile Ravioli with Mexican Shallot and Cilantro Cream; Fettuccine Chontaleño (al dente-cooked pasta tossed with cilantro then ladled with a sauce made with whipping cream, tomato, green onion and black olives); and the NPA's Pasta with Fresh Salsa, a low-fat dish of angel hair tossed with a salsa of bell peppers, jalapeños, tomatoes, onion and cilantro.
Recipe from Chef Bobby Flay, Mesa Grill, BOLO and Mesa City, New York, NY; recipe and photo courtesy of Northarvest Bean Growers Association 
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Sweet Potato Ravioli with White Bean and Poblano Relish, Mushroom Essence and Balsamic Glaze Makes 4 to 6 main dish servings or 8 appetizer servings | |||
| The ravioli: | |||
| 3 | lg. sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces | ||
| 4 | T. unsalted butter | ||
| 1/4 | c. creme fraiche | ||
| 1 | T. chipotle pepper puree | ||
| 1 | T. molasses | ||
| Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste | |||
| 4 | sheets fresh pasta dough | ||
| 2 | eggs beaten with 1 T. water | ||
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Cook potatoes in large pot of boiling salted water until soft. Drain well and press through a ricer into a large bowl. Add remaining ingredients (except pasta and eggs) and gently mix until combined. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Lay sheet of pasta dough on lightly floured work surface and distribute heaping teaspoon-sized portions of the filling at least 2 inches apart. Use fingertip or a brush to moisten edges of pasta sheet with egg wash. Carefully place a second sheet of the pasta dough on top of the first and press to separate the rows of filling. Repeat with remaining dough. With a ravioli cutter or pastry wheel, cut along straight lines on the vertical and horizontal to form each ravioli square. Press edges closed to seal well. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Carefully drop in the ravioli and cook about 5 minutes. Drain and serve immediately. The balsamic glaze: |
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| 2 | c. balsamic vinegar | ||
| Honey, to taste | |||
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Place balsamic vinegar in a small non-reactive pan and reduce until thick over medium-high heat. Add honey, to taste. The relish: | |||
| 2 | c. Navy beans, cooked and drained | ||
| 1 | poblano pepper, roasted, peeled and finely chopped | ||
| 2 | T. lemon juice | ||
| 1/4 | c. olive oil | ||
| 2 | T. finely chopped fresh thyme | ||
| Salt and ground pepper to taste | |||
| Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. The mushroom essence: |
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| 2 | T. olive oil | ||
| 1 | lg. white onion, coarsely chopped | ||
| 2 | cloves garlic, coarsely chopped | ||
| 1 | T. porcini powder | ||
| 6 | whole black peppercorns | ||
| 3 | c. homemade chicken stock | ||
| 1 | c. heavy cream | ||
| Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste | |||
| 1 | T. white truffle oil | ||
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Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook until soft. Add porcini powder and cook 1 minute longer. Increase heat to medium high, add peppercorns and chicken stock and cook until reduced to a sauce consistency. Meanwhile, place cream in a small nonreactive sauce pan and reduce by half. Strain reduced sauce through a fine strainer and return to saucepan. Add the reduced cream and cook until slightly thickened. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and drizzle in the white truffle oil. Finishing: Place 4 ravioli for entree portion or 2 ravioli for appetizer portion in a shallow bowl. Ladle mushroom essence over the ravioli, top with white bean and poblano relish and drizzle with balsamic glaze.
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Reprinted with permission from "Pasta Exotica: Fresh Pasta with Vivid Flavors" by Mary Jane Wilan Copyright © 1997, Ten Speed Press, Berkley, CA. www.tenspeed.com. Photo by Lois Ellen Frank 
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Green Chile Ravioli with Mexican Shallot and Cilantro Cream Sauce Makes 4 servings | |||
| The dough: | |||
| 1/4 | c. green chiles, well drained and finely minced; or 3 T. green chile powder | ||
| 2 | eggs, lightly beaten | ||
| 2 | T. oil | ||
| 1/3 | t. salt | ||
| 2 | c. flour | ||
| If using fresh chiles, place in small, heavy skillet and dry-sauté them over low heat until moisture has evaporated. Allow chiles to cool before they are added to the remaining ingredients. Place chiles, eggs, oil, salt, and flour in the bowl of a food processor and process until the mixture begins to form a ball. The dough should be well blended but not sticky. If dough feels sticky, add a little flour and continue blending. If dough looks crumbly, add 1 teaspoon water and blend. If processor starts to slow down or stop, it's a good indication dough is correctly mixed; stop immediately. If you are using an electric pasta machine, and the dough still seems too powdery, you may need to add some water by the tablespoon until the dough reaches the desired consistency. Extrude dough into your desired shape, using an electric pasta machine or hand-cranked roller, or roll and cut pasta by hand. The Ravioli |
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| 1 | c. ricotta cheese | ||
| 1 | c. cream cheese | ||
| 1/2 | c. cooked 1/8-inch sized pieces of chicken | ||
| 1/2 | c. canned, drained green chiles | ||
| 3 | T. chopped cilantro | ||
| 1 | recipe Green Chile Pasta dough | ||
| 1 | recipe Mexican Shallot and Cilantro Cream Sauce | ||
| 1/2 | c. salsa of your choice, as garnish | ||
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In large mixing bowl, combine ricotta and cream cheese until well blended. Stir in chicken, green chile and cilantro. Roll out dough by hand or with help of a hand-cranked machine until 1/16-inch thick. Cut it into two pieces, place 1-1/2 teaspoons of cheese and chicken filling at 1-1/2-inch intervals, and top with the other half sheet of dough. Press down firmly between the mounds and cut between the mounds with a pastry wheel. Seal all four edges with a dab of water. Allow to dry for 30 minutes. Cook and drain the ravioli and serve topped with Mexican Shallot and Cilantro Cream Sauce and salsa. | |||
| 2 | c. milk | ||
| 1 | t. chopped shallot | ||
| 1 | T. chopped fresh cilantro | ||
| 3 | T. unsalted butter | ||
| 3 | T. flour | ||
| Salt and pepper to taste | |||
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Place milk, shallots and cilantro in blender and process until well blended. Set aside. In a heavy saucepan, melt the butter over low heat and simultaneously whisk in the flour, 1 tablespoon at a time. Whisk until the flour is well blended with the butter and the mixture pulls away from the sides of the pan. Add the milk mixture and increase the heat until the mixture reaches a boil. Immediately lower the heat to a simmer and whisk constantly until the mixture is thickened. Add salt and pepper to taste. If this sauce is not served immediately, cover it with plastic wrap to prevent a film from forming on the top.
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Recipe and photo courtesy of
California Milk Advisory Board
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Fettuccine Chontaleño Makes 12 servings | |||
| 1 | lb. 8 oz. California Chontaleño Cheese | ||
| 2-1/2 | c. chopped tomato | ||
| 1/2 | c. green onion, thinly sliced | ||
| 1/4 | c. black olives, chopped | ||
| 2 | lbs. 4 oz. dried fettuccine | ||
| 3 | c. whipping cream | ||
| Salt and pepper as needed | |||
| 3/4 | c. chopped cilantro | ||
| 12 | cilantro sprigs | ||
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Grate cheese (about 6 cups)
reserve. Mix tomato, green onion
and black olives; reserve. Per order, cook 4 oz. fettuccine in salted, boiling water until al dente. Meanwhile, to make sauce, heat 1/4 cup cream to a simmer; stir in 1/4 cup tomato mixture; bring to a simmer. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir drained fettuccine into sauce; stir 1 tablespoon cilantro into pasta. Remove from heat; stir in 1/3 cup cheese until well incorporated. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons cheese; garnish with cilantro.
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