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Tallarines Verdes is a Peruvian pasta dish. This pesto is made with queso blanco/fresco and fresh spinach and basil leaves. It’s tossed in the pasta of your choice and traditionally served with a side steak. Serve it with glasses of Chicha Morada and Papa a la Huancaina for a delicious Peruvian dinner.
Peruvian food is what I grew up learning how to make first. So it’s no surprise that I have tons of Peruvian recipes; everything from Lomo Saltado to Alfajores to my favorite stew, Seco. These noodles are the thing my mom would make for me when it was I needed some quick comfort. She also would make them for me because this is her favorite Peruvian dish. She loves them so much.
What is Tallarines Verdes?
Tallarines Verdes literally translates to Green Spaghetti. This pasta dish might seem strange coming from a country like Peru. But in the 1940s, there was an influx of migrants from Liguria, Italy; the place where pesto originates from. A lot of Peruvian staples come from other countries, other people who migrated there and put their stamp on Peruvian cuisine.
Ingredients You’ll Need for Tallarines Verdes
- Spinach. This recipe calls for spinach and basil. I absolutely LOVE the combo of the two.
- Basil. Fresh basil is best.
- Evaporated milk. This gives the pesto a delicious creamy element.
- Queso fresco. This provides the ultimate creaminess (and saltiness) for this sauce.
- Walnuts. Feel free to use pine nuts in place of walnuts.
For the rest of the ingredients, please see the recipe index card below!
How to Make Tallarines Verdes
- Cube up the queso blanco/fresco.
- Add the cheese, olive oil, spinach, basil, garlic, shallot, walnuts and evaporated milk to a blender.
- Process and give it a taste. Adjust the salt to your liking. I definitely needed close to a 1 teaspoon of salt.
- Toss with cooked pasta. AND THAT’S IT!
More Peruvian Recipes
Comfort Food
Yucca Fries
Dinner
Pollo a la Brasa
Peruvian Recipes
Ajรญ de Gallina
Peruvian Recipes
Aji Verde (Peruvian Green Sauce)
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Tallarines Verdes Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups packed spinach leaves
- 1 cup packed basil leaves
- 5 ounces cubed queso blanco or queso fresco, plus more for garnish
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled
- 1/2 shallot, peeled
- 1/4 cup walnuts
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup evaporated milk
- Pinch kosher salt
- Freshly ground pepper
- 1 pound pasta , of choice
Instructions
To Make the Green Sauce:
- To a blender, add the spinach leaves, basil, queso blanco, garlic cloves, shallot, walnuts, olive oil, evaporated milk and a pinch of salt and a few turns of freshly cracked pepper. Blend for 30 seconds to a minute, scraping down the sides as needed. Give the green sauce a taste and adjust the salt accordingly (this type of cheese tends to be quite salty so you may only need a pinch or two extra).
To Make the Pasta and Assemble:
- Meanwhile, bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Drop the pasta in the water and cook according to packageโs directions. Drain the pasta, reserving about 1/2 cup of pasta water. Add the pasta back to the pot and pour in the green sauce. Toss the pasta until it’s thoroughly coated. Feel free to add a splash or two of pasta water to the pasta to thin the sauce out a bit. Divide between bowls and garnish with some queso fresco crumbles and freshly cracked pepper.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
*This post was originally published on February 26th, 2018. It has been since updated with new information and formatting.
My bf loved it! He said it was a creative dish.
yumm! so glad your man loved it!
I am 68 years old but my mother passed the recipe to me as yours when I was 12 years old. No shallots available at home, it doesn’t matter just add another garlic clove, and presto!
Amazingly easy and SO delicious! I’ve been missing these noodles for so many years–used to go a local Peruvian restaurant where I first fell in love with them. Now…years later…I’m in heaven again! Thank you for sharing this amazing recipe!
ahh wonderful love to hear this!
AMAZING! best pasta sauce ive ever had! I use pine nuts though!
Looks delicious, can use feta cheese ??
yes feta is a good substitute!
I can already taste the deliciousness. I love the ruffled pasta you used. Is that a National brand, or a specialty pasta?
Canโt wait to make it.
it’s called malfadine! you can usually find it at an Italian grocery market.
Hi! Can you elaborate on the right cheese for this recipe? Iโm not exactly sure what to look for at the grocery store. Thank you!
Hi Lauren, The cheese will be labeled Queso Fresco. That’s the name of it. A lot of places sell it –everywhere from Whole Foods to your typical grocery store. Brands like Cacique are super popular. Hope that helps!
I love pesto in all forms and this is no exception! I donโt eat red meat but I enjoyed it with shrimp. Going to keep some for leftovers and freeze the rest of the sauce. Thanks for a great dinner!
Thank you!!! Comfort food at its best!
This looks amazing! I am allergic to walnuts though so I’m curious to know what nut I could substitute. I was leaning towards pine nuts or almonds, (pecans?) but would love to know which you think would work with the other flavors.