Directions :
Place tomatoes on a pot and cover with water, bring to a boil and cook until tomatoes are soft and the skin is falling off (about 10 minutes).
Remove from the hot water and allow them to slightly cool down. Remove the skin, cut them in half, and remove the seeds too.
Place tomatoes on a blender and add onion, garlic, oregano, and 1 cup of the cooking water. Blend until smooth.
In a large pan heat the oil over medium-low heat. Add butter and allow to melt, then pour in the tomato sauce.
Season with salt and pepper and cook for 5 minutes or until the sauce thickens to the point it coats the back of a spoon.
Add cream cheese and Mexican crema (read notes). Stir until everything is nicely combined.
Adjust salt and pepper, and let it simmer for 3 more minutes or until the sauce thickens a little bit. Set aside.
Cook your spaghetti al dente as instructed in the package.
Return the pan with the creamy tomato sauce to the stove and place it over medium-high heat.
Strain your spaghetti and add it to the pan.
Stir for 1 minute to coat nicely the spaghetti and finish the cooking.
Serve with queso fresco on top.
Notes :
Removing the seeds on tomatoes is optional, if those don’t bother you just leave them and blend as instructed. Or just strain the sauce.
You can blend one or two chipotle chilies with the tomatoes, or a few chile de árbol to add a spicy touch to this spaghetti recipe.
If you want to speed up the preparation, cook the pasta while you’re cooking also the sauce.
Cream cheese is optional, it surely adds a nice flavor but in Mexico this recipe is made also without it.
Besides queso fresco, you can use any type of cheese you prefer over your pasta. Cotija, parmigiano, or other types are also good options.
If you can’t find Mexican crema where you live, try finding sour cream instead. But if neither of those is available, just use any regular whole cream you can find locally.
You can replace the tomatoes with a can of tomato sauce.