Clove

Tallarinas Verdes (Peruvian Green Spaghetti)

by:
August 30, 2013
0
0 Ratings
Tallarinas Verdes (Peruvian Green Spaghetti)
  • Serves 4
Author Notes

This dish is one of my husband's favorites and the green sauce, made from fresh spinach, fresh basil leaves and garlic, is different and exciting! Tallarinas Verdes is one of those Peruvian dishes most likely inspired by Italian immigrants, but the Peruvians give it their own unique touch! It is usually served with a pan-fried steak (pork or beef), but I have also seen it accompanied by chicken breasts, and I invariably will add mushrooms to acompany the meat. The Latin soft queso (cheese) does not melt readily but is crumbled into the sauce just before serving. The taste is quite unique! If you like the sauce a little thicker, I recommend 2 TBSP cornstarch stirred into a quarter cup of cold water and added halfway during the cooking, and perhaps some extra butter or olive oil. I tend to cook low-fat, so I don't always use these, but if you want a sauce that sticks to the noodles better, feel free to use these additions. I like the make a meal that is colorful, fresh and has eye-appeal (as well as tastes great!), so I usually choose something like a yellow or orange squash, cooked with a half sliced onion, a packet of chicken bouillon, with a pinch of salt and pepper. then maybe add a plate of sliced tomatoes from our garden. Serve with a warm crusty garlic-butter loaf and chilled wine...enjoy! —BeijingRose

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • Tallarina Sauce
  • 1 pound Whole Wheat thin spaghetti noodles
  • 1 bag fresh baby spinach leaves
  • 1 cup (firmly packed) fresh basil leaves
  • 6 cloves garlic, sliced
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon aji amarillo (Peruvian yellow pepper sauce)
  • 1 tablespoon dried oregano
  • 1 onion,minced small
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 4-6 ounces white Mexican style queso (white, farmer's cheese, for crumbling)
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • Pan-Fried Pork Loin Chops w/Mushrooms
  • 1 1/2 pounds lean pork loin chops (boneless)
  • 1 1/2 cups flour
  • 1 tablespoon cumin
  • 1 tablespoon oregano
  • 1 tablespoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce
  • 4 ounces white mushrooms, sliced
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • salt and pepper to taste
Directions
  1. Place the boness pork loin chops in a shallow dish and pour the Worcestershire sauce over them. Mix the flour, cumin, garlic powder, oregano, salt and pepper in another shallow dish. Dredge the pork loin chops in the flour and set them aside on a plate.
  2. Boil the spaghetti with a little salt, drain and set aside. Wash the spinach and basil and pack them into a blender with the garlic cloves. Add a cup of water a little at a time and pulse until all the vegetables are thoroughly ground up but not quite liquefied. Saute the onions with the olive oil until slightly softened. Add the green sauce to the onions, then add the oregano and aji amarillo. Simmer on medium low heat for half an hour.
  3. Add the crumbled queso and the milk to the green sauce and simmer on medium-high for 10 minutes, Keep stirring so that it doesn't stick or burn! Take the sauce off and add the drained spaghetti to it, tossing until all the noodles are covered.
  4. Heat the olive oil in a wide saucepan or skillet, dredge the pork loin chops again in flour, place the mushrooms around the bottom of the pan, then lay the chops on top of them. Cook on medium heat until the bottoms of the chops are a golden color, then turn them over and cook until well-done.
  5. Pour the spaghetti noodles with green sauce on a platter to cool and thicken a little, then lay the pork loins and mushrooms on top. Garnish with more queso and serve.
Tags:

See what other Food52ers are saying.

Popular on Food52

0 Reviews