Ancho Chile, Shrimp, and Pasta

Pasta tossed with fried slivered ancho chiles, garlic, and shrimp, olive oil, and Parmesan.

By
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Elise founded Simply Recipes in 2003 and led the site until 2019. She has an MA in Food Research from Stanford University.
Learn about Simply Recipes' Editorial Process
Updated May 24, 2022
Elise Bauer
Ancho Chile Shrimp Pasta on a plate
Elise Bauer

You know one of the great things about being a home cook?

You can basically do whatever you want in your kitchen. Mix up cuisines. Pair unlikely foods.

As long as it tastes good and you like it, no great uber-chef in the sky is going to look aghast and tell you you can't do what you've just done. Thank goodness!

Case in point, this quick and easy pasta dish from my friend Peg Poswall. Ancho chiles (dried poblano chili peppers) are distinctively Mexican. Parmesan? That would be Italian. Tossed together with pasta and shrimp? Huh?

Ancho Chile Shrimp Pasta
Elise Bauer

Believe me, it's awesome.

We inhaled it. And the next day I made another batch just for me.

It's actually not that much of a stretch when you think about it. If you just replaced the ancho chiles with red chili pepper flakes you would have something that would at least appear to be more classically Italian, with the garlic, olive oil, and Parmesan.

It's the distinctive flavor of the ancho chile that provides the Wow factor here.

Ancho Chile, Shrimp, and Pasta

Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 20 mins
Total Time 30 mins
Servings 2 servings

If you don't have access to ancho chiles, you can steer more to the Italian side and just use 1/4 teaspoon of red chili flakes to brighten up this dish.

Ingredients

  • 8 ounces long, thin pasta, such as spaghetti or fettuccini

  • Salt

  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil (grapeseed or canola)

  • 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

  • 1 ounce (about 2 medium to large) dried ancho chiles, rinsed, seeded and deveined

  • 1/2 pound (21-25 count) raw shrimp, peeled, deveined, and tails removed, the shrimp pieces cut into thirds

  • Black pepper

  • Freshly grated Parmesan

  • Lime or lemon juice, fresh squeezed

Method

  1. Cook the pasta:

    Put a large pot of salted water on to boil for the pasta when you start this recipe. Once the water is boiling, add the pasta and cook until al dente.

    While the water is coming to a boil and while the pasta is cooking, prepare the rest of the recipe as follows.

  2. Lightly brown the garlic:

    Heat oil in a small skillet on medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add sliced garlic. Cook until lightly browned, then remove with a slotted spoon to a large bowl.

  3. Fry sliced ancho chiles in oil:

    Thinly slice the ancho chiles (can chiffonade as you would with basil, just roll up into a cigar shape and slice crosswise). Add the sliced chiles to the hot oil and cook ONLY for 20 to 30 seconds.

    Remove with a slotted spoon to the bowl with the garlic. Do not over-cook the chiles or they will get bitter.

    slice dried ancho chiles
    Elise Bauer
    fry sliced ancho chiles in oil
    Elise Bauer
  4. Cook shrimp in ancho chili oil:

    Add the raw shrimp to the pan with the now chile and garlic infused oil. Increase the heat to high, cook for a couple minutes, stirring frequently, until the shrimp is just turning pink. Remove from heat. Add the shrimp and oil to the bowl with the garlic and chiles.

    cook shrimp in ancho chili oil
    Elise Bauer
  5. Combine pasta with shrimp, garlic, chiles, oil:

    Add the drained, cooked pasta to the bowl with the shrimp, garlic, chiles, and oil. Sprinkle with salt and black pepper and toss to combine.

  6. Serve:

    To serve, portion out into bowls, sprinkle with freshly grated Parmesan and a little lemon or lime juice.

Ancho Chile Shrimp Pasta
Elise Bauer
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
788 Calories
57g Fat
49g Carbs
24g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 2
Amount per serving
Calories 788
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 57g 74%
Saturated Fat 5g 25%
Cholesterol 145mg 48%
Sodium 988mg 43%
Total Carbohydrate 49g 18%
Dietary Fiber 5g 17%
Total Sugars 4g
Protein 24g
Vitamin C 53mg 266%
Calcium 144mg 11%
Iron 3mg 16%
Potassium 442mg 9%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.