Authentic Fideo Mexican Pasta Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Why does my fideo come out soggy? ›

The fideo will become mushy if overcooked. For Mexican sopa de fideo with a wonderful texture, remove the soup from the heat when the noodles have reached your desired tenderness and serve immediately. If making this recipe ahead, cook until the noodles are al dente with just a little firmness left.

Some historians believe that noodles were brought to both Italy and Spain by Arab nomads. Likely introduced to Spain between the eighth and ninth centuries, these noodles are said to have become known as the fine, thin fideos known today, which were then eventually taken to Mexico during Spanish colonization.

Sope de Fideo is a Mexican soup made with lightly toasted thin pasta noodles in a delicious and comforting tomato broth. I prefer my sopa de fideo more on the thin soupy side, but some people like it thicker and less soupy. For a lot of Mexicans, this dish brings so many wonderful memories of our childhood.

Made with easy-to-find ingredients like ground beef, spaghetti noodles, and tomato and enchilada sauces, this dish combines all the flavors of classic Mexican cuisine into an incredibly delicious meal. It's sure to be a crowd pleaser!

To ensure you get it just right, make sure the soup is nearly cooked before adding the pasta. Smaller pasta shapes soak up broth readily so ensure you serve the soup as soon as it's cooked. Alternatively, you could cook the pasta separately and add to the soup at the last moment.

General rule of thumb: I use about 4 to 5 cups of liquid for every cup of pasta. It sounds like a lot, but this is another tip to keep your fideo soupy. If you're in a pinch and don't have time to roast the tomatoes, you can use them fresh.

Fideo is a delicious family favorite and one that emphasizes our native tomato. I first wrote about this some years ago, but decided to post this recipe again because I suddenly realized that our “Fideo” probably predates the Italian dish, spaghetti with tomato sauce.

Sopa de fideo (Spanish for "noodle soup"), also referred to as sopita de fideo, is a stock-based noodle soup that is a part of the cuisines of Spain, Mexico, and Cavite, a province in the Philippines.

Fideo, the Spanish word for noodle.

In Italian culinary culture, breaking spaghetti is broadly considered a no-no, predominantly for cultural reasons. In Italy, spaghetti is seen as a food that should be served whole, long, and skinny, with a clear rationale behind this tradition.

Why do Mexicans toast pasta? ›

This Mexican dish typically features broken, thin noodles that are toasted, then cooked with broth and tomatoes. The noodles absorb the liquid, yielding pasta that is “dry,” but rich with the flavors of soup. And the toasted pasta creates a rich, nutty flavor foundation and a unique texture for the finished dish.

It sometimes begins with soup, often chicken broth with pasta or a "dry soup", which is pasta or rice flavored with onions, garlic or vegetables. The main course is meat served in a cooked sauce with salsa on the side, accompanied with beans and tortillas and often with a fruit drink in some areas.

Using a lid to trap heat in the pot will speed up this process. Water at an adequate boil will cook pasta faster, without suffering a significant temperature drop when the noodles are added, and this will keep your pasta from getting mushy.

First, drain the pasta immediately to stop the cooking process. Rinse the mushy pasta under cold running water. This will help cool it down and remove excess starch that can contribute to the mushiness. After rinsing, gently toss the pasta with a bit of olive oil to prevent it from sticking together.

One of the most common reasons for mushy noodles is overcooking. Pasta, including noodles, has a relatively short cooking time compared to other ingredients typically prepared in a crockpot.