Tallarines Verdes (Peruvian Green Spaghetti)

Tallarines Verdes, or Peruvian green spaghetti, is a delicious and easy dish to make. Step by step instructions to recreate this traditional Peruvian dish at home.

I first tried tallarines verdes at a Peruvian restaurant here in Toronto. Seeing "Mama's green spaghetti" on the menu surprised me as I'd never thought that Peruvian cuisine might include pasta recipes. I chatted with the server, and soon after I was introduced to this classic Peruvian pasta dish.

What is tallarines verdes

Literally translating to "green spaghetti", tallarines verdes is a classic Peruvian recipe. The spaghetti (or pasta used) is green as it’s mixed with a pesto made from basil and spinach.

How to pronounce it

Tallarines verdes is Spanish for "green spaghetti", and thus is pronounced a little different from what an English speaker may assume. The dish is pronounced "ta-yah-ree-nes behr-des".

Origins

A pasta recipe from Peru may not be something you expect. This green pasta recipe is the result of Italian migrants coming to Peru in the 1800s. The pesto pasta combination was adapted to use ingredients easily found in Peru, which is why the pesto is made using less basil than traditional pesto recipes.

Ingredients

• Tallarines (spaghetti)
• Extra Virgin Olive oil
• Garlic cloves
• Spinach leaves
• Basil leaves
• Ricotta cheese
• Pine nuts 
• Whole milk
• Salt and pepper

Topping suggestions

• Toasted pine nuts
• Parmesan cheese
• Fresh black pepper
• Fresh basil

How to make tallarines verdes

Begin by boiling your pasta according the directions on the package. You’re aiming for an al dente texture. Drain the pasta. If you want to thin the sauce out later, it’s a good idea to reserve a little pasta water.

In a skillet, heat the olive oil, add the garlic, and cook until just fragrant. Next add in the spinach, and turn off the heat, moving the spinach around the pan quickly. The pan will be warm enough to gently cook the spinach so that it softens over a few minutes. 

Transfer the spinach mixture to a high speed blender, and add in the basil, ricotta, pine nuts, milk, salt, and pepper. Blend until you get a smooth pesto sauce. (If you want to loosen the sauce, you can add a touch of the reserved pasta water here.)

Mix your homemade pesto with the cooked spaghetti, and top with more pine nuts, some Parmesan cheese, fresh black pepper, and basil leaves. Enjoy!

Serving suggestions

While tallarines verdes is a delicious meal by itself, it is typically accompanied by some sort of steak or chicken. The sky is limit, but I generally recommend keeping things simple for lovely homestyle recipes like this one.

Tips

There isn't much involved when it comes to making a pesto, and so it's important to use fresh ingredients. Fresh basil and spinach particularly will result In a lovely green pesto. Make sure to cook your pasta al dente – the instructions for how to do so should be on your pasta box!

Variations

As with many traditional home cooking favorites, there are a few different ways to make tallarines verdes. Of course, all involve spaghetti and a pesto sauce, but there’s certainly still room for a little variation.

My version is adapted slightly to work with ingredients that are found a little more easily in my area (but I have a swap below for a more traditional version).

Different pastas

While tallarines verdes is traditionally made with spaghetti, there’s nothing stopping you from making this recipe with whatever kind of pasta you prefer. I’d recommend experimenting with farfalle, tagliatelle or rigatoni.

Pesto variations

A simple change is to swap out the pine nuts for walnuts. Alternatively, try switching the ricotta for the arguably more traditional queso fresco.

Use evaporated milk

A lot of traditional tallarines verdes recipes call for using evaporated milk instead of regular milk. Evaporated milk is a popular ingredient in Peruvian cuisine due to the creaminess and added saltiness that it brings to any recipe. I’ve tried this and personally, I prefer using whole milk. It’s in my fridge more often, and the flavor difference was somewhat negligible in my opinion.

If you prefer something less salty, and more sweet, you can experiment using coconut milk. 

More cheese

More cheese is always a good thing. Feel free to lay on the parmesan as a topping, or even to switch it out with feta cheese or another cheese for a cheesier finish.

Storage suggestions

This recipe can be stored in an airtight container for up to four days when refrigerated. It can be frozen for up to two months.