Tallarines Verdes (Peruvian Green Spaghetti)
Spaghetti in a creamy green sauce of basil, spinach, queso fresco, evaporated milk and walnuts. Peru's comforting take on pesto, often served with a steak or chicken on top.
Servings
Ingredients
Nutrition
Per serving
Steps
Cook the pasta
Bring the water to a boil, add the salt, then cook the spaghetti until , following the packet time. Scoop out a cup of the cooking water before draining.
- 400 g spaghetti
- 3 L water
- 1 tbsp salt
✅ Done when: pasta is tender but still firm to the bite
Soften the onion
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a frying pan over low heat and cook the onion and garlic for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- ½ red onion
- 2 garlic cloves
✅ Done when: onion is soft and translucent, not browned
Blanch the greens
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Blend the sauce
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Combine and serve
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Cook the pasta
Bring the water to a boil, add the salt, then cook the spaghetti until , following the packet time. Scoop out a cup of the cooking water before draining.
- 400 g spaghetti
- 3 L water
- 1 tbsp salt
✅ Done when: pasta is tender but still firm to the bite
Soften the onion
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a frying pan over low heat and cook the onion and garlic for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- ½ red onion
- 2 garlic cloves
✅ Done when: onion is soft and translucent, not browned
Blanch the greens
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Blend the sauce
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
Combine and serve
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The Story Behind the Dish
Italian immigrants, many from Genoa, settled in Lima and Callao from the mid-19th century and brought pesto with them. Peruvian cooks adapted it to what they had: basil, spinach, local fresh cheese and evaporated milk instead of pine nuts and expensive olive oil.
The result, tallarines verdes, is now a home-cooking classic, often served with a thin fried steak (bistec) or breaded chicken on top.
⭐ Why It's Famous
Creamy, cheesy and herby, it's a beloved family dish that shows Peru's knack for making foreign recipes its own.
💡 Fun Fact
Evaporated milk is a Peruvian kitchen staple, used everywhere from sauces like this one to desserts and coffee.
Lima
-12.05°S, -77.04°W
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