Mexican spaghetti features a salsa inspired sauce that is cooked right into the meat and pasta. Make this spicy pasta recipe in 20 minutes!
Your favorite salsa ingredients come together with tender pasta and spicy sausage for a knock-your-socks-off meal. It’s so easy it just about cooks itself!
If you love the heat from this spicy pasta recipe, then you’ll love this Spicy Mexican Corn Skillet. It’s ready in 25 minutes with just a handful of ingredients.
I’ve also got Greek and Italian one pot pasta recipes if you’re in the mood for more global flavor. Both are made with chicken and are just as easy to make!
Or for something completely different, try these Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls. They’ve got all of the flavor of the traditional dish with the ease of a one pot meal.
How To Make Mexican Spaghetti
This one pot pasta couldn’t be any easier! Just combine everything in a wide pan so there is plenty of room for the spaghetti noodles. Then, bring it to a boil, cover, and simmer until the pasta is cooked.
Want a creamy sauce?
Add 4 ounces of cream cheese at the end and stir until melted and well incorporated. This is also a great way to tone down the spiciness of the dish without losing any flavor.
Try a different pasta shape.
This dish is extremely flexible and will work with most types of noodle. Just keep in mind that the cook time will vary, so make adjustments accordingly.
Sturdier long pasta like fettuccine and linguine can support the sausage and vegetable better than more delicate varieties like angel hair.
For short pasta, choose a medium sized variety like rotini, penne, cavatappi, and even bowtie. Avoid smaller shapes like macaroni or shells which will get lost in the dish.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Sausage - Feel free to use your favorite variety! I like hot Italian sausage, but chorizo would taste just as great. If you don’t like spicy dishes, use a mild link sausage instead.
- Jalapeno - Replace this with green chiles or leave it out entirely. You can also remove the seeds to make it less spicy. Either way, be sure to wear gloves to protect your skin from the irritating oils found in jalapenos.
- Water - You can easily used vegetable or even chicken stock as the liquid for extra flavor.
What You Will Need To Make One Pot Pasta
- Dutch Oven - I love this set and use it all the time. It is perfect for roasts, and I especially love it for my one-pot meals.
- Quality Knives - If you only make one kitchen investment, it should be good quality knives. They cut down on prep time and are important for safety as well.
- Tongs - I love this set of 3, and I use every pair of them. They are so handy and grip amazingly well!
FAQ - Common Recipe Questions
Is Mexican spaghetti good as leftovers?It sure is! Transfer any leftovers to a sealed container and refrigerate for 3 to 4 days.
Reheat in the microwave or on the stove, adding a splash of water or broth as needed for moisture.
Can I make this without cilantro?
You can leave out the cilantro altogether or even replace it with a teaspoon of dried ground coriander if you want to add a little seasoning.
Enjoy!
With love from our simple kitchen to yours.
Do you ❤ love ❤ TSRI? Don't miss another recipe. Click here to Subscribe to The Slow Roasted Italian by Email and receive new recipes in your inbox every day!
Spicy Pasta Recipe Video
To see us make the recipe from start to finish, watch the video at the top of this page.Yield: 6-8

Mexican Spaghetti One Pot Pasta
Mexican spaghetti features a salsa inspired sauce that is cooked right into the meat and pasta. Make this spicy pasta recipe in 20 minutes!
Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 10 MinTotal time: 20 M
Ingredients
- 3 cups halved grape tomatoes, divided
- 1 large onion, sliced
- 1 pound smoked hot sausage links, precooked (sliced into coins)
- 1-2 jalapenos, sliced (to taste)
- 4 garlic cloves, sliced
- 1 pound dry spaghetti
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro, divided
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
- 5 cups water
Instructions
- Reserve (set aside) 1 cup halved tomatoes and 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro.
- Combine remaining ingredients in a large (12") braising pan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Cover and bring to a boil. Once water is boiling, remove the lid and cook 7-9 minutes until pasta is al dente (with a bite to it). Toss pasta with tongs occasionally to keep the pasta from sticking. The liquid will be mostly absorbed when the pasta is finished cooking.
- Add remaining tomatoes and cilantro and toss to combine.
- Serve and enjoy!
DONNA'S NOTES
- Choose your favorite sausage. I prefer hot Italian sausage, but chorizo would be good too. You can substitute 1 pound any dry pasta for the spaghetti, just cook until al dente.
- You can substitute green chiles for the jalapenos or leave out the jalapenos completely.
- You can finish the sauce with 4 ounces of cream cheese stirred into the pasta. It will help cool down the spiciness and also add a nice creaminess to the pasta.
Recipe developed by Donna Elick for The Slow Roasted Italian
Copyright ©2015 The Slow Roasted Italian – All rights reserved.
Copyright ©2015 The Slow Roasted Italian – All rights reserved.
Originally published August 2015, updated and republished January 2021
Disclosure: Posts may contain affiliate links. If you purchase a product through an affiliate link your price will remain the same and The Slow Roasted Italian will automatically receive a small commission. Thank you for supporting us, it helps us keep creating new recipes.
Why does the recipe state use cilantro and the pic is Basil not cilantro?
ReplyDeleteThat was for the other recipe The one pot Cheesy Pasta and Sausage,that has the Basil .
DeleteWhere is this recipe with Basil?
DeleteIf you click on the picture with the basil it will bring you to the recipe.
DeleteYum!
ReplyDeleteAn interesting combination of ingredients, looks like a winner. When a mexican dish is cooked with pasta the pasta is called fideo.
ReplyDeleteNo it's not. Fideo is what we call Vermicelli noodles.
DeleteActually if you translate Fideo in espanol it means noodle. So technically Bobs comment is very close to truth. If you don't believe me use a translator app.
DeleteOne pot AND ready in 20? Sign me up! This looks amazing. I love easy and delicious weeknight pasta meals!
ReplyDeleteTo be more precise fideo is a type of pasta which is vermicelli.
ReplyDeleteCauld you tell me what Kosher salt is please, i'm from Australia. thank you
ReplyDeleteIt's just a chunkier kind of salt. Use regular salt instead but only use half the amount.
DeleteKosher salt is just pure salt with no iodine added, also called canning salt.
DeleteI made this last week with some fresh ingredients from my garden. I love one pot meals, not only was this easy and fool proof, it was so fresh, light tasting and savory. I hope everyone tries it.
ReplyDeleteIs it necessary to have the cilantro? I really dislike cilantro and this recipe sounds very good otherwise.
ReplyDeleteHi Ernie! You can leave out the cilantro altogether or even replace it with a teaspoon of dried ground coriander if you want to add a little seasoning. Enjoy and let us know how it goes.
DeleteHi! I would substitute cumin - a very Mexican flavor.
DeleteAlso, in your tip you mention subbing chorizo - but its NOT cooked sausage. How would you do that?
Please notify me!
DeleteSaw this in Facebook. Just tried it. Added cream cheese as suggested to cut the spiciness simply to appease children's pallets. Turnes out delicious! Whole family complimented the dish.
ReplyDeleteAwesome! so happy you loved it. Kids can be tough, the cream cheese is perfect. Thank you for coming by to leave feedback!
DeleteYou can also use cottage cheese to cut the spiciness.
DeleteWhat is the sauce made out of? I'm looking at the recipe and it says add 4 ounces of cream cheese to the sauce. Or, did I miss that in the recipe?
ReplyDeleteThe sauce is made in the pot as the ingredients cook. You add the cream cheese directly to the pot if desired. I leave it out and it is perfect for me. I like spice! But more tender palates may prefer the cream cheese added.
DeleteHey how you doing My question is I'm going to make the Mexican pasta do I add salsa because I see at the beginning of the page you said I can add my favorite salsa
ReplyDeleteActually the recipe includes the ingredients traditionally found in salsa. You can make adaptations as desired but it is amazing as is. Enjoy and let us know how it goes.
DeleteUsually, I don't comment on a recipe, but I will have to this one time. This recipe is awesome. I tried your recipe. I added salsa, taco seasoning and mozzarella cheese. I used turkey smoked sausage (since I don't eat pork), Mt. Olive crushed jalapeno and Veggie Spaghetti. Delicious! I raved about your recipe to my sister and best friend. Now, they want to try it. Of course, I put in pdf file and sent to their phone to try it. Thank you, Donna for sharing your recipes. Oh by the way, I added the cream cheese because I used too much jalapeno...it works and yum. It is a keepa for me! And, I am a follower on all your social medias. Lol.
ReplyDeleteHave you tired it with shrimp and the hot sausage? I want to make this tomorrow with both
ReplyDeleteJust made this for dinner tonight but add bell peppers instead of tomatoes (my bf dislikes them) and added sour cream to bring down the spice a notch. Turned out absolutely delicious
ReplyDeleteThis looks awesome......going to try tonight
ReplyDeleteCould you use chicken instead? Cook it first?
ReplyDeleteChicken instead?
ReplyDeleteI have used this recipe with several versions. First I used the original. Second, I used jalapeno sausage. Third, regular sausage but a sliver of jalapeno pepper and 1 can rotel and used 4 cups of water instead of the 5 cups. No cilantra since some can't eat it. They were all great. Nothing like a basic recipe that can be changed & still soooo good. Thanks for a great one.
ReplyDeleteThis recipe is great! I have made it with several versions and it still turns out great. No matter what you change it is simple and easy. I have enjoyed it soo much. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteMade this last night. Followed recipe. It was OK, but something was missing. Will try adding some salsa and cheese with the leftovers.
ReplyDeleteHow much green chiles do I use if I don't want to use the jalapeno?
ReplyDeletewhat sauce is used for the one pot cheesy pasta and sausage?
ReplyDeleteVery yummy! Even the kids approved! Definitely add the cream cheese!
ReplyDeleteIf you make 1/2 of the recipe and use only 1/2 lb of spaghetti, how much water do you use?
ReplyDeleteCan you replace the pasta with rice?
ReplyDeleteThis was delicious!! Whipped it up for my husband tonight and he was quite impressed. So glad it appeared in my email feed today.
ReplyDelete