Susana says: “Each of my tias (aunties) has at least one signature dish, which they’re expected to bring to all family gatherings, for perpetuity. Tia Marielena’s go-to is her spaghetti with poblano peppers – the delicious roasted poblanos bring a very special quality to this sauce.

“Fresh poblanos are not common in the UK and western Europe, although you are more likely to find them fresh in the US, given its proximity to Mexico and similar terrain. Poblanos have a distinctive earthy, slightly sweet taste and their heat can go from mild to high. In this sense they are similar to the slightly sweet and spicy taste of the Spanish padron peppers; when you add the grassy and medium spice from the jalapeños it is a match made in chilli heaven.

“This simple recipe is great for summer entertaining – either as a batch-cooked meal or for a last-minute dinner party; it’s also great if you are feeding anyone on a plant-based diet.”

Serves 3-4

Cooking time: 30-40 minutes

Ingredients

For the cashew cream:

150g raw unsalted cashews
150ml just-boiled water
1 tsp ground cumin
½ tsp salt
½ tsp ground black pepper
Juice of ½ lime

For the verde sauce:

1 tbsp olive oil, plus extra to garnish
1 white onion, roughly chopped
3 fat garlic cloves, peeled but left whole
100g padron peppers, de-stemmed
4 jalapeños
100g baby spinach, washed
250ml vegetable stock
300g spaghetti

To serve:

100g toasted sourdough breadcrumbs

Method

1. Put the cashews in a bowl, pour over the boiling water and set aside for 10-20 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, for the sauce, heat the olive oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Once hot, add the onion, stir and let it soften for 3 minutes, then add the garlic and let it get a bit of colour for another 2 minutes. Add the padron peppers and jalapeños, stir and let the onion brown further and the peppers get nicely charred all around. Once they’ve blackened a little (about 5 minutes), remove the pan from the heat. Remove 2 of the jalapeños from the pan, chop them finely and set aside in a bowl.

3. Tip the soaked cashews and the soaking liquid into a blender with the ground cumin, salt, pepper and lime juice, then blend on a high speed until everything turns smooth and creamy in consistency. Next, add the fried vegetables, spinach and stock and blend again until it’s all completely integrated into a bright green, thick creamy sauce. Taste and adjust the seasoning as necessary. The sauce should be mostly mild in heat.

4. Cook the spaghetti in a large saucepan of water until al dente. Drain, reserving some of the cooking water, then return the spaghetti to the pan with 4 tablespoons of the starchy pasta water. Pour in the salsa verde and mix, letting it all come together for a couple of minutes, before turning off the heat altogether. Serve while still warm with a drizzle of olive oil, some freshly ground black pepper and the sourdough breadcrumbs. For those who like more heat, add a sprinkle of the blistered chopped jalapeños and enjoy!

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