Being from New Mexico, I love adding chile (that's chile with an "e", as in chile peppers) to just about anything. I ran across this old recipe I clipped from The Albuquerque Journal the other day and remembered making it many years ago – and loving it! It’s more of a special occasion recipe than one you would make weekly - full of fat calories, - but well worth the extra effort and diet-busting for a once-in-a-while treat.
Tip: It’s recommended you use fresh pasta for this dish and if you are good at making your own pasta (or adventurous enough to try), go ahead and use your favorite recipe but add 2 T. red chile powder to the flour. You can also use packaged fresh fettuccine from the refrigerated case at your grocery store.
That's my cache of red chile powder in the photo there on the right. I got a bag of it last summer from the Deming, New Mexico farmer's market stand where my folks regularly shop. They were kind enough to buy extra dried red chile and share with me. I store it in a clean spice bottle so it's easy to shake or pour out.
Red Chile Fettuccine with Piñon Romano Sauce
Fresh fettuccine pasta
¼ lb. butter
¼ cup heavy (whipping) cream
½ cup freshly grated Romano cheese
½ cup shelled piñon nuts, toasted and chopped
1 T. red chile powder (not chili powder, this is powder made from dried red chiles and should be found in the Mexican food aisle of your grocery store)
1 clove garlic, minced
Cream the butter until light and fluffy. Beat in the cream slowly. Add Romano cheese, piñons, red chile powder, and garlic; beat until combined.
Add this sauce to the fettuccine immediately after cooking and draining the pasta. Toss gently until every strand is coated. Serve immediately.
Serves 4 to 6
This makes a great side dish to accompany grilled shrimp, chicken breasts or steaks and a crisp green salad – the spicy flavor shouldn’t compete with strong flavors in the other foods so keep the seasonings on the meat simple (lemon and garlic is good).
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