If you didn’t already know, Peruvian food is incredible and sooo underrated here in North America and as someone who’s half Peruvian and cooks for a living, I feel like I have to let the people know. I don’t have a good excuse for why I have yet to publish a single Peruvian recipe, maybe it’s because it’s not the most vegetarian or vegan friendly, but I’m a firm believer that where there’s a will there’s a way.
Peruvian cuisine is a real fusion of cultures, with European, Japanese, Chinese, and (of course) Inca influences, among several others. Today we’re starting with a dish that has Italian influences (because yes, Italian-Peruvian fusion is also a thing!) and it’s super easy I promise. Tallarines Verdes translates to green noodles; you can basically think of this as an extra creamy and cheesy Peruvian pesto of sorts. I’ve based this off of my Spinach Pistachio pasta because it’s delicious and pretty much fits the ingredient criteria. The dish is traditionally made with queso fresco, which I’ve replaced with cashews for a dairy-free creamy component, and my mom lovingly reminded me that it’s also often also made with Aji Amarillo (Peruvian hot yellow pepper), so if you happen to have some, feel free to throw it in (I’ve also linked some to purchase on Amazon). Though I know most people don’t have access to this very niche ingredient so rest-assured it will come out delicious without.
For the “bistec”, aka steak, part, I decided to use lion’s mane and WOW I’m so glad I did, it’s the perfect veg “steak” substitute. It’s actually insane how meaty it is. And truly SOO easy to prepare if you follow this method, I wish I’d tried it out sooner.
(serves 2)
Tallarines Verdes:
300g spaghetti
75g spinach
1/3 cup cashews (40g), soaked in hot water for 30 mins
1 1/2 cups (30g) basil leaves
1 tsp salt
Juice of half a lemon
2 garlic cloves, sliced
1 tbsp nutritional yeast
3/4 cup water to blend
1 tbsp aji amarillo paste (optional)
Reserved pasta water
Lion’s Mane Steak:
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt generously, add pasta and cook to al dente. Reserve about a cup of the pasta cooking water.
In the meantime, blend spinach, cashews, basil, salt, lemon juice, garlic, nutritional yeast, aji amarillo paste (if using) and water in a high speed blender until smooth. Pour into a large saucepan and bring to a gentle simmer over low heat. Add pasta and a splash of the pasta cooking water and toss the pasta through the sauce to coat. Add splashes of pasta water as needed.
To make the steaks, heat butter and olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the lion’s mane and press each down firmly with a spatula. Sear until golden brown, about 3-5 minutes on each side. At the very end of cooking, drizzle with soy sauce and press down to get one last sear, flipping to coat both sides.
Slice lion’s mane steaks and serve on top of the green spaghetti. Enjoy!
If you’ve never had Peruvian food, then I hope this acts as an easy and delicious entry point! I’m so excited to share more. I feel like it will help me connect with my Peruvian roots, all while bringing you dishes that you’ve (maybe?) never tried before. Until then, have a wonderful weekend and I’ll see you soon!
-Raquel xox
IG: @FreshofftheRaq
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