Spicy and creamy Vegetarian Chipotle Pasta gets its smoky flavor from adobo sauce! This one-pot pasta dish is packed with veggies and gets done in 30 minutes!

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 10 minutes
  • Cook time: 20 minutes
  • Total time: Not specified
  • Yield: 3
  • Category: Entree
  • Cuisine: American

Ingredients

  • 1.5 tablespoons olive oil (22 ml)
  • 1 medium yellow onion (chopped)
  • 4-5 large garlic cloves (chopped)
  • 1 small yellow pepper (chopped, around 1/3 cup chopped pepper)
  • 1 small red pepper (chopped, around 1/3 cup chopped pepper)
  • 4 oz white mushrooms (sliced, around 8 mushrooms)
  • 1/2 cup green peas (frozen)
  • 2.5 tablespoons adobo sauce (from can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (use the sauce only), adjust to taste- add less if you don't like spicy food)
  • 1.5 cups water (12 oz)
  • 8 oz penne pasta
  • 3/4-1 teaspoon salt (adjust to taste)
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons heavy cream (or add more to taste)
  • 1 tablespoon +1-2 teaspoon lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 3 oz asparagus (trimmed, thin asparagus preferred)
  • cilantro (to garnish)

Method

  1. Press the saute button on the Instant Pot. Once the pot displays hot, add the olive oil and then add the chopped onion, garlic and peppers (both red and yellow). Saute for 2 to 3 minutes until the onions and pepper soften.
  2. Add in the mushrooms and frozen green peas. Stir.
  3. Then add the adobo sauce (from the can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, you just add the sauce from it, not the peppers). Stir to combine.
  4. Then add the water, penne pasta, salt and pepper. Press the pasta lightly with a spatula so that it's slightly under water.
  5. Close the pot with the lid. Press the manual or pressure cook button and cook for 5 minutes on high pressure with the pressure valve in the sealing position. Quick release the pressure.
  6. Open the pot and press the saute button. Add in the heavy cream. You can add extra 2 tablespoons of cream here if you like it more saucy or creamier.
  7. Also add the lemon juice and honey and mix.
  8. Add the asparagus and cover the pot with a glass lid. Let the pasta simmer for 3 minutes on saute.
  9. Garnish with cilantro and serve the spicy vegetarian chipotle pasta warm.You may grate some parmesan cheese on top before serving!

Stove-top Instructions

  1. Boil pasta according to instructions on the package and set aside. Reserve the water that was used for boiling the pasta.
  2. Heat olive oil in a pan on medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the onion, garlic and peppers and saute for 2 to 3 minutes until soften. Add in the mushrooms, peas and asparagus and stir. Add little water, around 1/4 cup (you can use the same water that was used for boiling the pasta), cover pan with a lid and let the veggies cook for 3 to 4 minutes.
  3. Once veggies are done, add the adobo sauce, cream, lemon juice, honey, salt and pepper. Mix everything. Stir in the boiled pasta and mix. If the sauce looks too thick, add some more of the reserved pasta water. Taste test and adjust seasonings to taste. Garnish with cilantro and serve.

Kiyaan Singh’s Kitchen Note

Keep this recipe as a working base: cook once as written, then adjust spice, texture, and serving style for your own table.