Fideos Secos - Mexican Tomato Pasta

Mexican comfort food. I would argue that almost all the classic Mexican dishes, the ones we are accustomed seeing in our local Mexican restaurant, are all comfort food. Warm tortillas, Crunchy Tacos, Enchiladas, Pozole, Chiles Rellenos, Albondigas, Rice, Beans…it’s hard to pick one and thankfully nobody has to. This pasta dish called Fideos Secos, meaning “dry pasta” is something that most Mexican families only serve at home. It is very rare to see this dish on a menu in a Mexican restaurant, but I would wager that every household has their version of this delightful pasta. Like most family dishes, every cook seems to have their own variation of this coveted dish. A lot of the variations stem from the availability of ingredients in the common household, but mostly from family traditions. I am sharing the “dry” version, but many households also make a “wet” version, which is more like soup with pasta. It is also delicious and can be easily made by adding more chicken broth to the pasta. What is common in all the Fideo recipes, “wet” or “dry” is toasted pasta, garlic, tomato sauce and broth. One of the gifts of this simple meal is the sensory benefit of the wonderful aroma of the toasted pasta and the garlic as they brown to create the depth of flavor. As simple as the preparation of this dish is, and for the time it takes to make this (very little), it is a standout dish and your family and guests will love it. After you have made it, you will wonder why you never had this before.