Espagueti Rojo, or Mexican red spaghetti, is so easy and so tasty.
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I was not a fan of this dish growing up. I still ate it because you eat your food if you have a Mexican mom. Lol.
Nowadays, I crave it along with espagueti verde, espagueti a la crema, and anything pasta.
Those velvety, creamy noodles with salty cotija are the best!
Table of Contents
Ingredients
- Spaghetti
- olive oil
- onion
- garlic clove
- tomatoes
- oregano
- granulated chicken bouillon
- Salt (for the water)
Since the sauce is very simple, that’s why you need to use red, ripe tomatoes. They should have a little push when squeezed. Hard tomatoes need a day or two to ripen.
For oil, use good extra virgin olive oil or grapeseed oil.
Toppings
Crema Mexicana or sour cream whatever you have on hand will work for this recipe.
Cotija Cheese (preferred) is salty and also provides texture. Substitute with feta or queso fresco.
For a melting cheese, shred the cheese and add 1 minute before taking the dish off the stove.
Fresh Parsley adds freshness to the dish. A little goes a long way.
Instructions
- Cook the pasta in a large pot with boiling water and salt.
- Cook according to the package instructions until it is al dente.
- Remove the pot from the heat.
Drain and cover it with oil or butter so it won’t stick together.
Don’t overcook the pasta. It will continue cooking in the sauce.
How to Make the Sauce
- To make the tomato sauce, add water, tomatoes, onion, and garlic to a boil in a large pot.
- Cook for 7 to 8 minutes.
- Remove the tomatoes from the water.
- Place the tomatoes, garlic, and onion in a blender.
- Blend until smooth.
Heat the oil in a large frying pan. Pour the tomato sauce into the pan and cook.
Be very careful when adding to the skillet. It can splatter. Use a deeper pan to prevent the sauce from splatter on you.
Spicy lover? Add 1 chipotle in adobo sauce to the blender for a little kick.
- Cook for about two minutes at medium-high heat.
- Stir in the oregano and chicken bouillon.
Taste for good measure and adjust as needed.
You’ll see the sauce get thicker as it continues to cook.
Chicken bouillon will add depth to the sauce. Use vegetable bouillon to substitute.
- Add the pasta to the skillet with the tomato sauce.
- Reduce the heat and keep cooking for 2 more minutes.
Toss the spaghetti with the sauce and coat well.
If you want to use a melting cheese like monterey jack or mozzarella, add it to the skillet here. Mix well.
To serve the pasta, top it with crema mexicana, crumbled cotija, and garnish it with some parsley.
Add more or less crema mexicana (or sour cream) depending on how you like it.
The more cream you add, the creamier it will be.
Make it a complete meal and serve with milanesa de pollo or milanesa de res.
Storing Instructions
Place any leftovers in an airtight container and store for up to 3 days. It’s best to store leftover spaghetti separate from the sauce.
Freezing Instructions
Put any leftover spaghetti with or without the sauce in a sealable bag. Remove as much air as possible and store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
More Mexican Pasta Recipes:
Espagueti Rojo is what weeknight meals should be. Easy, delicious, and kid-friendly. I like to serve it with a simple salad. So good!
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Espagueti Rojo
Ingredients
- water (to cook the spaghetti)
- 1 teaspoon salt (to cook spaghetti)
- 8 oz spaghetti
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ onion
- 1 garlic clove
- 2 lbs tomatoes
- ¼ teaspoon oregano
- water (to cook sauce ingredients)
- 1 ½ teaspoon chicken bouillon
For Toppings:
- Sour Cream (or crema mexicana)
- cotija cheese crumbled
- chopped parsley
Instructions
- Boil water in a large pot. Add salt and spaghetti.
- Cook the pasta according the package instructions.
- Do no overcook the pasta.
- It will continue cooking in the sauce.
- To make the sauce, add the tomatoes, onion, garlic, and water in a stock pot.
- Add enough water to cover the ingredients.
- Cook for about 7-8 minutes, or until the tomatoes are cooked.
- Remove the ingredients from the pot and add them to a blender. Discard the water.
- Blend until smooth.
- Heat oil in a large, deep skillet.
- Pour the sauce into the pan and stand back.
- The sauce will splatter when added to the skillet.
- Cook for 1 minute and add the oregano and chicken bouillon.
- Continue cooking.
- Add the cooked pasta to the tomato sauce.
- Toss and mix well.
- Cook for 2 more minutes.
- Serve the pasta and top with a 1 tablespoon of sour cream cream, crumbled cotija, and parsley.
Notes
Nutrition
Maggie Unzueta is the writer/blogger, photographer, recipe developer, videographer, and creator of In Mama Maggie's Kitchen. She has been developing easy and authentic Mexican food, Mexican-inspired recipes, and traveling tips since 2010. From family recipes to her extensive travels throughout Mexico, she brings traditional Mexican flavors from South of the Border and into your kitchen. Maggie has been featured in notable culinary websites and other media outlets. For more details, check out her About page.
I couldn’t believe how easy this mexican spaghetti recipe to make, and it was so delicious. Will enjoy leftovers for lunch today. Thanks for this wonderful recipe!
So glad you enjoyed this Mexican spaghetti.
I love how simply and delicious this recipe is.
My kids love it so much!
That’s the best, isn’t it? When the kids like the food, I feel like I hit the lottery. lol.
damn that pasta was delicious! Never heard of Mexican spaghetti and I’m glad I saw your post.
Thanks Dennis. This Espagueti Rojo is a classic. I always crave it when I’m sick.
This pasta is perfect!! I am going to make it over and over. Thanks so much for this recipe 🙂
I make this espagueti rojo all the time. Glad you liked it.
Wow! The name itself is very unique and interesting! This pasta dish looks amazingly delicious! Plus we can never go wrong with pasta! It’s everybody’s staple food!
You got that right. You can never go wrong with a pasta dish like espagueti rojo. So good!
This is such a fun variation of typical spaghetti. Definitely adding it to my weekly dinner rotation!
Yes. I have that problem too. Always needing new ideas for recipes. Hope you like this espagueti rojo. 🙂
It doesn’t get any easier than this and I’m here for it! What a fabulous weeknight meal when you’re craving something hearty in a pinch. So delish!
I love easy pasta recipes. And delicious too!
I have never had this spaghetti recipe before, but it sounds delicious! This would be a great recipe to make to change things up on our pasta night!
Hope you try it. It’s delicious!
This was so simple to make and came out so flavorful! My whole family loved it.
That’s great to hear. This Mexican Spaghtti recipe is always a hit at my house. 🙂