Tallarines Verde turns weeknight pasta into a Peruvian feast with a vibrant green sauce that’s creamier than pesto, easier than Alfredo, and so delicious you won’t even realize you’re eating your greens.
If you’re looking for a flavorful alternative to pesto pasta, Tallarines Verde is exactly what you need. This dish literally translates to “green noodles” and gives traditional pesto pasta a Peruvian spin, turning simple ingredients like basil, spinach, walnuts, queso fresco, and evaporated milk into a restaurant-quality, refreshingly light sauce.
While the emerald green hue is show-stopping all on its own, you’ll love the balance of rich creaminess and fresh herbs in every bite. It’s like a cross between comforting, simple Cacio e Pepe, rich, creamy Alfredo, and vibrant chimichurri. So when you can’t decide which feeling you’re after, you can’t go wrong with this Peruvian green spaghetti! The entire dish takes just 20 minutes to toss together, making it one of our favorite flavor-packed weekday dinners.
What is Tallarines Verde?
Tallarines Verde translates to “green noodles” and is a mashup of Peruvian and Italian cuisine. Playing on Italian pesto, this version relies on ingredients more common in Peru, replacing the bulk of basil for leafy spinach, swapping parmesan cheese for queso fresco, using less-expensive and ultra-flavorful walnuts, and giving it a creamier feel by blending everything up with milk.
Traditionally, the sauce is heated before adding it to the pasta, but our take has a more pesto-like vibe by leaving the ingredients raw before blending, then tossing with noodles.
How to Make Tallarines Verde?
Ingredients
Process
- Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil. Add a handful of salt followed by spaghetti. Boil spaghetti until al dente, 7 to 9 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain and toss in a small amount of olive oil. Set aside until ready to use.
- Place shallots, garlic, walnuts, spinach, basil, cheese, milk, and oil into a food processor.
- Blend until mixture is super smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
- Pour mixture into a large bowl and top with spaghetti.
- Toss together until fully combined. Adjust seasonings. Top with more crumbled cheese and serve.
Tips for the BEST Tallarines Verde
- For the best deep nutty flavor, toast your walnuts first! An easy way to toast them is to spread walnuts on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake them in a preheated oven at 350°F for about five minutes, or until fragrant. Be sure to keep a close eye on them, as they can go from toasted to burnt in just a minute.
- After cooking your pasta to al dente, be sure to drizzle and toss it with olive oil to keep the noodles from sticking to each other while you finish the sauce.
- We know it’s tempting to just toss all the ingredients into the food processor and whirl away, but don’t do it! By processing the ingredients in intervals: breaking down the coarser walnuts, shallots, and garlic first, then the softer ingredients before drizzling in the liquid, you’ll get the smoothest sauce possible.
- You can use other types of milk for this recipe, but evaporated milk gives it a light and creamy texture, which we absolutely love!
Variations
To use what you have or make this recipe your own, try these substitutions and variations:
- Swap the walnuts for other nuts, like pine nuts, for a more classic pesto, or use almonds, pecans, or cashews to switch up the flavor.
- In addition to, or in place of, the spinach, you can use a variety of greens, including baby kale (for a heartier green), arugula (for a peppery flavor), more basil, or even some cilantro for a brighter spin.
- Make this recipe dairy-free by skipping the cheese and replacing the evaporated milk with canned coconut milk or even oat or almond milk. If you want a cheesy flavor boost without dairy, a few tablespoons of nutritional yeast will add a pop of earthy cheesy flavor to the sauce.
What to Serve with Our Tallarines Verde?
To make this recipe a complete meal, serve it with:
A protein:
A side:
Storing, Freezing, and Reheating Instructions
Storing
You can make the sauce up to two days ahead of time and store it in the refriferator until ready to use. Let it sit out at room temperaure while you’re making the pasta, then toss with hot, freshly drained noodles just before serving.
To store leftover Tallarines Verde, add the noodle and sauce mixture to an airtight container and store it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The pasta may absorb some of the moisture from the sauce, so this tends to be better when eaten within 24 hours, but still tastes delicious up to 3 days.
Freezing
You can freeze the sauce for up to 3 months before adding it to pasta. Just add it to an airtight container and freeze in portions. When ready to use, just let the sauce thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
Reheating
To reheat the Tallarines Verde, add the pasta to a skillet over medium-low heat and gently heat, stirring as it warms, adding a splash of milk if needed to thin the mixture out.
More Delicious Pasta and Noodle Recipes You Will Love
Tallarines Verde
Tallarines Verde turns weeknight pasta into a Peruvian feast with a vibrant green sauce that’s creamier than pesto, easier than Alfredo, and so delicious you won’t even realize you’re eating your greens.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Servings:
INGREDIENTS
INSTRUCTIONS
-
Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil. Add a handful of salt followed by spaghetti. Boil spaghetti until al dente, 7 to 9 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain and toss in a small amount of olive oil. Set aside until ready to use.
-
Place shallots, garlic, walnuts, spinach, basil, cheese, milk, and oil. into the well of a blender and blend until smooth. Lightly season with salt and pepper.
-
Pour mixture into a large bowl with spaghetti. Toss together until fully combined. Adjust seasonings. Top with more crumbled queso and serve.
NOTES
Storing
You can make the sauce up to two days ahead of time and store it in the refriferator until ready to use. Let it sit out at room temperaure while you’re making the pasta, then toss with hot, freshly drained noodles just before serving.
To store leftover Tallarines Verde, add the noodle and sauce mixture to an airtight container and store it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The pasta may absorb some of the moisture from the sauce, so this tends to be better when eaten within 24 hours, but still tastes delicious up to 3 days.
Freezing
You can freeze the sauce for up to 3 months before adding it to pasta. Just add it to an airtight container and freeze in portions. When ready to use, just let the sauce thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
Reheating
To reheat the Tallarines Verde, add the pasta to a skillet over medium-low heat and gently heat, stirring as it warms, adding a splash of milk if needed to thin the mixture out.
Calories: 450kcal Carbohydrates: 48g Protein: 15g Fat: 22g Saturated Fat: 5g Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g Monounsaturated Fat: 8g Trans Fat: 0.2g Cholesterol: 19mg Sodium: 274mg Potassium: 357mg Fiber: 3g Sugar: 5g Vitamin A: 1354IU Vitamin C: 5mg Calcium: 207mg Iron: 2mg
CUISINE: peruvian
KEYWORD: green spaghetti, tallarines verde
COURSE: dinner, lunch
DIET : Vegetarian
