Spicy Chipotle Pesto Pasta
This pesto is unbelievably easy to make, and this pasta packs in quite a punch. Perfect for those busy weeknights!
I had the day off from work yesterday so I spent the day batch-cooking for the rest of the week. It’s been a really long time since I had a weekday off and I forgot how nice it is to just stay at home and catch up on some daytime television. I think I watched about 4-5 episodes of Scrubs back to back. Plus, the laundry room was completely empty so I definitely took advantage of that too.
Now included in this batch-cooking day is this amazing chipotle pesto pasta, filled with corn, beans, tomatoes and avocado. I’ve made this once before for Jason and he absolutely loved it. He just kept moaning with every single bite – so much that I thought he was lying about how good it really was!
Not only is this dish incredibly scrumptious but it is so easy to make! Everything gets dumped into the food processor for the pesto and after boiling up some water for the pasta, you can just toss everything together. Plus, I substituted the mayo with Greek yogurt for a more healthier take on this dish.
I really love the simplicity and easiness of this dish, which makes it perfect for a weeknight meal, and the spiciness is definitely the best part about this dish!
So here’s how you make this:
Let’s first start with the pesto by combining some chipotle peppers, Parmesan, pine nuts and garlic.
Once all of that is combined, go ahead and stream in the olive oil. Then we’ll add the Greek yogurt until it gets nice and creamy.
Once the pesto is taken care of, let’s toss some cooked farfalle pasta with the pesto, corn, beans and tomatoes.
After everything is combined, we can serve it immediately as a hot dish or as a cold pasta salad – either way is good. You can also serve it with some fresh avocado and chopped cilantro along with some crusty French bread.
I could seriously eat this every day for the rest of my life.
Spicy Chipotle Pesto Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 pound farfalle pasta
- 3 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, or more, to taste
- ⅓ cup grated Parmesan
- ¼ cup pine nuts
- 1 clove garlic
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- ⅓ cup Greek yogurt
- 1 15-ounce can whole kernel corn, drained
- 1 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 Roma tomatoes, diced
- 1 avocado, halved, seeded, peeled and diced
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves
Instructions
- In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta according to package instructions; drain well.
- To make the pesto, combine chipotle peppers, Parmesan, pine nuts and garlic in the bowl of a food processor; season with salt and pepper, to taste. With the motor running, add olive oil in a slow stream and Greek yogurt until emulsified; set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine pasta, pesto, corn, black beans and tomatoes.
- Serve immediately with avocado and cilantro, if desired.
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If we can’t use nuts would you recommend something else for the missing flavor? A spice? Or would pumpkin or sunflower seeds be any good? Or just better to omit the pine nuts?
Unfortunately, without further recipe testing, I cannot answer with certainty. As always, please use your best judgment regarding substitutions and modifications.
I had a terrible experience with pine nuts recently. Would you recommend a substitute or just ommiting?
Yes, you can omit as needed.
Do you use any of the adobo sauce that the peppers come in or just the peppers themselves.
Yes, you can add the adobo sauce, to taste.
Is this something I can make the night before and add the tomatoes and avocado before serving?
Yes, absolutely.
Thank you for this delicious recipe!! I made it for my family and it was a hit 🙂 I added chicken for a protein boost and it went great with the creamy sauce.
WOW this was awesome. I love spicy food and I’m always disappointed to find “spicy” recipes that hardly have any kick. I only used three peppers and it is hot and spicy and I love it. I just wish I could have halved it but didn’t want to mess with the sauce measurements. I might freeze it like you mentioned though if we don’t eat the leftovers in time.
Do you drain the corn?
Yes, Tara, the canned corn should be drained prior to using.
My boyfriend and I really want to make this, though he is allergic to milk, so we can’t do the greek yogurt. The cheese is okay, though, as long as he doesn’t eat an excessive amount of it. Do you think it’d be okay to leave it out? It just won’t be as creamy, I assume.
It’s really hard to predict what it would be like by omitting the Greek yogurt. It provides the base for the pesto – without it, it may be chunky and it could also be difficult to toss the pasta with a texture like this.
If the original recipe called for mayonnaise, maybe just sub that back in. Or something like Miracle Whip. I don’t think either of those have milk in them.
I can’t wait to try this! It looks yummy!
Do you think with just 3 chipotles it’s too spicy for little kids?
I would start with one just to be safe. The peppers can get really spicy!
I just made this tonight & it was phenomenal!! I left out the pine nuts only because I had none. It was so easy, delicious & healthy too!! I always have leftover chipotle peppers after I make a mayo with them for fish tacos & throw half the can away & this recipe gave me something to finish the can off witj Thanks for such a great recipe!
When I have more chipotle’s than I can use, I individually wrap them in plastic wrap and throw them in the freezer. They freeze beautifully.
Thanks for the great tip – will definitely have to try that!
Made this tonight and we LOVED it. I only put in 3 chipotle peppers, though, because I don’t like things too too spicy. I cannot imagine how you eat this with 5-6 peppers! You’ve got some brave taste buds. Either that or my peppers were bigger. Regardless, very very tasty and so easy. Excellent recipe. 🙂
I’m so glad you had a chance to give this a try! And thanks for letting me know about the peppers – us Koreans love our spiciness. I’ve noted in the recipe to use 3 or more to taste!
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I’ve looked in 2 different store but can’t find the chipotle peppers in the adobo sauce. What could I use to substitute?
There really is no substitute for chipotle peppers in adobo sauce as this is the main ingredient of this dish. You can purchase chipotle peppers online, such as amazon.
Thank you! I will
I’m excited to try this. What type of Greek yogurt should I use? There r so many choices!
Also, can I use chipotle paste instead of the chipotle peppers in adobo sauce? If so, How much?
This sounds fabulous? How would this freeze? Was thinking it would be perfect to do in individual serving dishes and freeze for a quick lunch for my husband to take to work, just wasnt sure if the pesto would thaw well on the pasta.
I froze this in individual servings and placed it in the oven at 350 degrees F until heated through, about 30-40 minutes.