I’ve always struggled with chipotle in adobo simply because even if you use a tiny can, there are far more peppers than can easily fit in a single recipe. Since we don’t really think about it much, in the past, the remaining peppers have gone to waste. But that’s not a green practice, and we’re trying to be more Earth-conscious, so here we are.

spaghetti with tomato, chipotle in adobo, mushroom sauce

This is a variation of Roman style tomato pasta sauce using chipotle in adobo instead of dried red pepperoncini. The chipotle gives the dish more of a smoky sweet flavor which I really enjoy. This sauce sort of reminds me of linguine with harissa, chick pea, mushroom and spinach. The heat is different though.

Frankly, we’ve been experimenting with chipotle in adobo. The other day, Hegui made an amazing black bean soup and we’ve tried it in some less successful ways lately, too, which we didn’t bother to publish here. If you have any favorite recipes with chipotle in adobo, get in touch!

key ingredients for tomato, chipotle in adobo, mushroom sauce

Spaghetti with Tomato, Chipotle in Adobo, Mushroom Sauce

1 28oz. can diced tomatoes
4 cloves garlic, peeled and left whole
4 tbsp. olive oil
2 cups mushrooms, cut to bite sized pieces
2 bay leaves
2 chipotle in adobo, minced
1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes, sliced in thin strips
1 tsp dried oregano
Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
1 lb. package spaghetti or similar
Soft goat cheese (or feta) as garnish
Finishing olive oil for garnish

Begin boiling a large pot of water to cook pasta before starting sauce.

Sauté mushrooms in 2 tbsp olive oil with a pinch of salt in a deep skillet until they have browned and released some of their juice. Set aside.

In same skillet, add remaining olive oil, garlic and chipotle in abodo. Sauté for a minute or so until garlic becomes fragrant. Add diced tomato, sun dried tomato, bay leaves, oregano and salt and black pepper to taste. Cover and bring to boil then lower to simmer while pasta is cooking.

Just before tossing with pasta, remove garlic cloves and bay leaves from sauce. Add cooked mushrooms to sauce and stir. Toss cooked spaghetti in sauce. Pour into a serving bowl. Garnish with cheese and finishing oil. Enjoy!