Fideo Seco en Mole
Fideo seco is simply very thin, short pasta noodles cooked in the same way as you would cook arroz rojo: with a flavorful liquid that gets fully absorbed during cooking, hence the name “seco,” meaning “dry.” The more traditional way is to use a tomato broth, sometimes seasoned with chipotle, but using mole instead gives this comfort food wonderful added flavor. This is officially my husband Philip’s new favorite recipe.
For the tomato sauce here, I like to use 28-ounce can of San Marzano tomatoes, puréed with a teaspoon each of onion powder and garlic powder. You can also make your own with fresh tomatoes by quickly boiling and peeling six tomatoes with the same seasonings. As for the mole, you can definitely use store-bought mole paste for this weeknight recipe—I have used these brands: Mole Doña María, Juquilita Mole Coloradito, and the Northgate González Market.
If you can find fideos, you can use capellini or angel hair pasta, but you must break it into small pieces with your hands before cooking.
This recipe was excerpted from ‘Familia' by Marcela Valladolid. Buy the full book on Amazon.
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What you’ll need
Fideo Pasta
$10 $8 At Amazon
Mole Paste
$18 At Amazon
4 Quart Saucepan
$200 At Amazon
Recipe information
Yield
Serves 6
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Heat the oil in a large, heavy saucepan over high heat. Add the tomato sauce and bring to a boil over high heat. Lower the heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 minutes. Whisk in the mole paste. Whisk in enough of the broth (about 1½ cups) to get you to 4 cups of the sauce. Season to taste with salt, remove from the heat, and set aside. Keep warm.
Step 2
Heat a large, heavy sauté pan (that will fit both the fideo and the 4 cups of sauce!) over medium heat. Add the fideo and garlic and stir constantly until golden brown. This is done with NO oil! You have to constantly move the fideo, while adjusting the heat, so that it toasts evenly. When it is a light brown color, stir in the mole sauce. Bring to a boil over high heat, lower the heat to medium-low, and simmer for 10 minutes.
Step 3
Uncover and stir in 1 cup of the broth (or more if dry). Cover and cook for 5 minutes longer. Adjust the seasoning. Transfer to a platter and serve with crema, avocado, and sesame seeds.
See Related Recipes and Cooking Tips
This Comforting, Saucy Noodle Dish Comes Together in No Time
Wrap your fideo seco in a tortilla, top it with a fried egg, or just eat it cold out of the fridge.
