← Nouns Cooking · Brazilian & Peruvian

Ingredients

• 400 g linguine, fettuccine or tagliatelle
• 50 g basil leaves (2 big bunches)
• 100 g baby spinach
• 2 tbsp Vegetable oil
• ½ Red onion, chopped
• 2 cloves Garlic
• 100 g queso fresco or ricotta
• 150 ml Evaporated milk
• 30 g walnuts or pecans
• 3 tbsp Parmesan (or a vegetarian hard cheese), finely grated, plus extra to serve
• ¾ tsp Salt
• ¼ tsp Black pepper

Method

1. Bring a large pot of well-salted water to the boil and cook the pasta until al dente. Scoop out a mug of the cooking water, then drain.
2. While the water heats, warm the oil in a small pan over medium heat and cook the onion and garlic for 4–5 min, until soft but not browned.
3. Drop the spinach and basil into the boiling pasta water for 10 seconds, then lift them straight into a bowl of cold water. This keeps the sauce bright green. Squeeze dry.
4. Blend the greens, onion and garlic with the queso fresco, evaporated milk, nuts and Parmesan until very smooth. Season with the salt and pepper.
5. Return the drained pasta to the warm pot over low heat, pour in the sauce and toss for 1–2 min, adding splashes of pasta water until creamy and glossy. Don’t let it boil.
6. Serve at once with extra cheese. In Peru it often comes with a breaded steak or a fried egg on the side.

Tips

• Traditional Parmesan is made with animal rennet; choose a vegetarian hard cheese if that matters to you.
• Contains nuts and dairy; leave out the nuts for a nut-free version.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

196 flavors Peru Delights