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Prep time
15 minutes
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Cook time
30 minutes
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Serves
4
Author Notes
This pasta dish comes from Peru, where it is the second most popular pasta dish after tallarines verdes - green pasta. The distinctive flavor in this sauce comes from a combination of ají panca chile paste and ground porcini mushrooms. —Carlos C. Olaechea
Ingredients
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4
boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of fat and cut into 1” pieces
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1/2 teaspoon
ground cumin
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salt and pepper to taste
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3 tablespoons
achiote oil or vegetable oil (see note)
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1
large bayleaf
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1
large red onion, finely diced
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3
large cloves garlic, minced
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2 tablespoons
ají panca paste (see note)
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1 cup
cup diced carrots (about 2 medium)
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1 cup
chicken stock
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1
28 oz. ca stewed tomatoes
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1 tablespoon
ground dried porcini mushrooms
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1 teaspoon
dried oregano
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1 pound
linguine or spaghetti
Directions
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Pat the chicken dry and season with cumin, salt, and pepper.
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Heat oil in a large pot over medium high heat. Add the chicken in a single layer and brown, about 1 minute each side. When chicken is browned, transfer to a bowl and set aside. Repeat with remaining chicken, careful not to crowd the pot, until you have browned all the chicken.
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Once you have removed the last of the chicken, add the bayleaf and cook for a few seconds to release the aroma. Now reduce the heat to medium.
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Add onion and cook until translucent, about 2 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring often, for about 30 seconds. Stir in ají panca and cook until oil separates from the mixture.
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Add the carrots along with a pinch of salt. Cook for about 5 minutes or until carrots are no longer raw. They will still be crunchy. Add chicken stock and bring to a rapid simmer. Now stir in the tomatoes, breaking them up with a spoon. Bring to a rapid simmer.
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Add chicken, porcini, and oregano. Bring to a rapid simmer again, and then reduce to medium low. Simmer uncovered for about 30-45 minutes until the carrots are very tender and break apart easily
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Meanwhile, boil the pasta to desired doneness. Drain and dress with the sauce and chicken. Serve with parmesan cheese and ají sauce.
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Note: achiote oil is made by gently frying annatto seeds in a neutral oil over low heat until the oil turns a deep red color. This oil is used to color and add flavor to many Latin American dishes, and each cook usually makes a large batch to keep on hand. If you do not have achiote oil, simply use vegetable oil and add a ½ teaspoon annatto powder at step number six. Ají panca paste is a dried red chile paste that is important in Peruvian cuisine. You can find jars of the paste online or at a well-stocked South American grocery store. If you cannot find it, omit it from the recipe.
I was born in Peru to a Limeño father and a Texan mother. We moved to Miami when I was five, and I grew up in the "Kendall-suyo" neighborhood—often called the 5th province of the Inca Empire because of its large Peruvian population. I've been writing about food since I was 11 years old, and in 2016 I received a master's degree in Gastronomy from Boston University. A travel columnist at Food52, I'm currently based in Hollywood, Florida—another vibrant Peruvian community—where I am a writer, culinary tour guide, and consultant.
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