Penne Pasta with Salsa Verde

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Penne pasta with salsa verde by mamalatinatips.com

Thanks to Barilla® for making this recipe post possible. As always my comments, memories, and my love for pasta with salsa verde are my own.

I don't know if this happens in your family, but when I was growing up, we had a go-to sauce in our kitchen. You know what I mean. For some it's ketchup, for others it's Worcestershire sauce, but for us it was salsa verde. We were never, ever without a jar of it in our fridge.

Related Post: Traditional Salsa Verde

Tomatillos by mamalatinatips.com

We used salsa verde to spice up our quesadillas in the evening and our eggs in the morning. We added it to the soup or the beans, and filled our tacos with it. We topped off our tostadas and spooned it over our fish. My brothers and I would even drizzle it over our bread and eat it just like that. Most of all we loved it with pasta.

Related Post: Pierogies with Chicken in Salsa Verde Recipe

Knowing all this, today's recipe may come as no surprise. My kids are likely to want an encore the day after I make it, so it's a good idea for me to just make double the salsa and have a couple of boxes of Barilla® penne pasta ready. That way it will make for a couple of very convenient, easy, and inexpensive meals.

Related Post: Chile Verde Tamales

Penne pasta with salsa verde - ingredients by mamalatinatips.com

Penne Pasta with Salsa Verde

Serves 4

Estimated preparation time: 10 minutes

From start to finish: 50 minutes

Ingredients

  • 4 (4 oz) boneless chicken thighs or breasts
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon salt + 1 teaspoon salt + salt to taste, divided
  • Pepper to taste
  • 1 (1 lb) Barilla® Penne pasta
  • 12 tomatillos, peeled, washed and cut in halves
  • 3 garlic cloves, peeled
  • 1-2 serrano peppers, stemmed
  • Big bunch of cilantro, washed
  • 1 avocado
  • Queso fresco

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F

Bring a large pot of water plus 1 tablespoon of salt to the boil (approx 4 quarts) in preparation for the pasta.

Coat the chicken with olive oil, add salt and pepper to taste and bake in oven for 20 minutes or until juices run clear.

Meanwhile, put two cups of water in a pot. Add tomatillos, garlic cloves and serrano peppers, and cook until tomatillos change color from bright green to olive green, approx. 5 minutes.

Raw tomatillos by mamalatinatips.com

Cooked tomatillos by mamalatinatips.com

Drain water, but reserve 1/4 of a cup of it. Blend tomatillos, garlic, serrano peppers, 1 teaspoon of salt, cilantro, avocado and 1/4 cup of liquid until creamy.

salsa verde by mamalatinatips.com

By now chicken should be cooked. Cut it in small cubes.

Cook the pasta according to the package instructions. Drain and toss with the sauce and chicken. Adjust salt to taste.

Salsa verde over penne pasta by mamalatinatips.com

Top with queso fresco and serve immediately.

Penne pasta with salsa verde by mamalatinatips.com

I used the classic Barilla® penne pasta. But in Walmart, for example, you can find the Barilla® tri-color, mezzi penne, piccolini, multigrain, veggie, and even gluten-free versions. Which is your favorite?

¡Buen provecho!

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Barilla. The opinions and text are all mine.

 

Penne pasta with salsa verde by mamalatinatips.com
5 from 5 votes

Penne Pasta with Salsa Verde

Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time40 minutes
Total Time50 minutes
Servings: 4 portions

Ingredients

  • 4 4 oz boneless chicken thighs or breasts
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon salt + 1 teaspoon salt + salt to taste divided
  • Pepper to taste
  • 1 (1lb) box Barilla® Penne pasta
  • 12 tomatillos peeled, washed and cut in halves
  • 3 garlic cloves peeled
  • 1-2 serrano peppers stemmed
  • Big bunch of cilantro washed
  • 1 avocado
  • Queso fresco

Instructions

  • Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F.
  • Bring a large pot of water plus 1 tablespoon of salt to the boil (approx 4 quarts) in preparation for the pasta.
  • Coat the chicken with olive oil, add salt and pepper to taste and bake in the oven for 20 minutes or until juices run clear.
  • Meanwhile, put two cups of water in a pot. Add tomatillos, garlic cloves and serrano peppers, and cook until tomatillos change color from bright green to olive green, approx. 5 minutes.
  • Drain water, but reserve 1/4 of a cup of it.
  • Blend tomatillos, garlic, serrano peppers, 1 teaspoon of salt, cilantro, avocado and 1/4 cup of liquid until creamy.
  • By now chicken should be cooked. Chop it in small cubes.
  • Cook the pasta according to the package instructions. Drain and toss with the sauce and chicken. Adjust salt to taste.
  • Top with queso fresco and serve immediately.
Course: Chicken & Turkey, Pasta & Rice
Cuisine: Mexican
Author: Silvia Martinez
Silvia Martinez
Latest posts by Silvia Martinez (see all)

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