Active Time

　　25 min

　　Total Time

　　45 min

　　If the famed Italian-American noodle took a trip to the Southwest, it might come back looking a little like this. With a creamy sauce and a duo of chiles that adds smoke and spice, this pasta is packed with flavor.

　　

Ingredients

Makes 6 to 8 servings

　　1 large onion, thinly sliced (2 1/4 cups)

　　1/2 pound fresh poblano chiles, stemmed, seeded, and thinly sliced lengthwise

　　2 tablespoons olive oil

　　1 cup chopped bottled roasted red peppers

　　1 pound ziti or penne

　　1 tablespoon chopped canned chipotles in adobo

　　1 1/2 cups sour cream

　　1 cup chopped scallions (about 1 bunch)

　　1/4 cup chopped cilantro

　　

Garnish:

raw green (hulled) pumpkin seeds (pepitas), toasted

　　

Step 1

Cook onion, poblanos, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in oil in a heavy medium pot over medium heat, covered, stirring occasionally, until onion is golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Add red peppers and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is tender, 2 to 3 minutes.

　　

Step 2

Meanwhile, cook ziti in a pasta pot of boiling salted water (2 tablespoons salt for 6 quarts water) until al dente. Reserve 1 cup cooking water, then drain ziti.

　　

Step 3

While ziti cooks, purée chipotles with sour cream in a blender.

　　

Step 4

Add purée to onion mixture with scallions, cilantro, 1/4 cup cooking water, and 1/2 teaspoon salt and bring to a simmer, stirring. Add ziti and toss, moistening with additional cooking water if desired. Season with salt.

　　Serve with:

　　green salad