Fideo Seco (Mexican Dry Noodles)
Toasty pasta, smoky chile-tomato sauce, and all the creamy garnishes, it’s comfort food, Mexican-style.
Equipment
- cast iron pan
Ingredients
- 8 nests angel hair pasta or vermicelli
- 2 medium tomatoes
- ½ small white onion
- 1 pasilla chile stem and seeds removed
- 1 garlic clove peeled
- 3 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 2 cups chicken stock or vegetarian stock
- 1 teaspoon sea salt flakes
To garnish
- 1 cup crumbled queso fresco
- 1 perfectly ripe avocado sliced or cubed
- ½ cup fresh coriander chopped
Instructions
Soften the Pasilla Chile
- Place the deseeded pasilla chile in hot water for about 5 minutes to rehydrate.
Make the Sauce
- Roughly chop the tomatoes and onion. Once the chile is soft, blend it together with the tomatoes, onion, garlic, and saltuntil smooth. Strain the sauce through a fine sieve into a saucepan and cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Set aside.
Toast the Fideo
- Heat the vegetable oil in your cast iron pan. Break the angel hair nests into smaller pieces and toast them in the oil, stirring frequently, until they turn golden brown. This step gives the dish its signature toasty flavor.
Simmer with Sauce and Stock
- Pour the pasilla chile sauce over the toasted noodles and stir well to coat. Then pour in the stock and mix again so the liquid is evenly distributed.
- Bring everything to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat, cover the pan, and let it simmer for about 10 minutes, or until the liquid is absorbed and the noodles are tender.
Garnish and Serve
- Turn off the heat and let the fideo rest for a couple of minutes. Then top with: Crumbled queso fresco, sliced or cubed avocado, fresh chopped cilantro's erve warm and enjoy every comforting bite!
Notes
I used an Italian brand of pasta and it worked beautifully, just make sure to break the nests into shorter lengths.
You can also prepare the sauce ahead of time and store it in the fridge for up to 3 days.
If you’d like a spicier version, feel free to swap the pasilla chile for a dried chipotle or morita chile, both will add a smoky kick and extra heat.