Textual Chef Textual Chef

Tallarines Verdes

A rich Peruvian pasta tossed in a vibrant cream sauce made from spinach, basil, evaporated milk, and fresh cheese. It delivers a savory, herbaceous flavor profile with a silky texture.

30 minEasyServes 4520 cal/serving

PeruvianDinnerStovetop and BlenderVegetarianHalal-friendlyNut-FreeEgg-FreeSoy-FreeSesame-FreePork-FreeAlcohol-FreeNightshade-Free

Cook this free in the appFree. No download, no account. The screen stays awake and each step can run its own timer.

Ingredients

  • 12 oz spaghetti
  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1 small red onion, chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 4 cups spinach leaves, washed
  • 2 cups basil leaves, washed
  • 1/2 cup evaporated milk
  • 1 cup queso fresco, crumbled
  • 1 tsp salt

Instructions

  1. 1

    Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, cook 12 oz spaghetti according to package directions, then drain while reserving 1/2 cup of pasta water.

  2. 2

    Heat 2 tbsp vegetable oil in a skillet over medium heat, then add 1 small chopped red onion and 2 minced garlic cloves and cook for 5 minutes until soft.

  3. 3

    Transfer the cooked onion and garlic mixture to a blender along with 4 cups washed spinach leaves, 2 cups washed basil leaves, 1/2 cup evaporated milk, 1 cup crumbled queso fresco, and 1 tsp salt.

  4. 4

    Blend on high speed until completely smooth and creamy.

  5. 5

    Pour the green sauce back into the skillet over low heat, toss in warm spaghetti, and stir for 2 minutes until coated, adding reserved pasta water if needed.

Cook this free in the appCooking it now? The app keeps the screen awake and times each step. Free, nothing to install.

Questions

What is Tallarines Verdes?

A rich Peruvian pasta tossed in a vibrant cream sauce made from spinach, basil, evaporated milk, and fresh cheese. It delivers a savory, herbaceous flavor profile with a silky texture. This reference files it under Peruvian dinner: made on the stovetop and in a blender, rated easy and about 30 minutes start to finish.

How do I know when Tallarines Verdes is done?

Go by the cues in the method rather than the clock. Step 5: cook until coated, adding reserved pasta water if needed.

Why save the pasta water for Tallarines Verdes?

Step 5 reads: "Pour the green sauce back into the skillet over low heat, toss in warm spaghetti, and stir for 2 minutes until coated, adding reserved pasta water if needed." The water is full of starch. Added back as step 5 directs, it emulsifies the sauce so it clings to the pasta instead of pooling in the bowl.

Is there a substitute for queso fresco in Tallarines Verdes?

The entry for Tallarines Verdes calls for 1 cup queso fresco, crumbled. In its place: Mild feta, rinsed, or farmer cheese.

Can I make Tallarines Verdes gluten-free?

Yes. The gluten in Tallarines Verdes is 12 oz spaghetti. Swap the pasta for a gluten-free one, cooked a minute short of its package time. Everything else proceeds as written.

Is Tallarines Verdes vegan?

No, though it is vegetarian. What keeps it from vegan is 1/2 cup evaporated milk and 1 cup queso fresco, crumbled. For fully plant-based entries, see the vegan dinner collection.

How many calories are in Tallarines Verdes?

One serving (the recipe makes 4) is about 520 calories, with 20 g protein, 70 g carbohydrate and 18 g fat, plus 4 g fiber and 620 mg sodium. The figures are estimates computed from the ingredient list.

Serve it with

Cook this free in the app

Textual Chef is 4,530 plain-text recipes, free to read and free to cook from. No account, no paywall, no ads, no life stories. Open this one in the app and each quantity sits inside the step that uses it, so you read once and cook.

Every recipe is curated or public-domain sourced, written to one template and checked before it publishes. Nothing here is a scraped blog post.

Cook this free in the appNo download needed. It opens in your browser. The kitchen tools (planner, shopping list, pantry, import) are $5.33 a month billed annually; the first 30 days are free.

More Peruvian entries

All Peruvian recipes · All Dinner recipes