Peruvian Comfort Food - Tallarines Verdes

Of all the Peruvian dishes there are, there is none that warms my heart more and is most satisfying on frustrating day than tallarines verdes.  This is one dish that The Momster (who's American) thoroughly conquered in her repertoire of Peruvian dishes, and few people do it as well as she does.  It's a dish that's also very simple to just whip up at the last minute....call it the Peruvian version of boxed mac n' cheese.  A few restaurants serve it with a typical grilled or breaded fried minute steak, but this is a dish best savored at home and preferably made by a mom.  The name means "green noodles", and it basically consists of pasta (usually spaghetti or linguine) tossed in a pureed mixture of spinach, basil, and milk.  Of course, there are few little secrets here and there to make it taste just right.  Garlic is a must, and The Momster adds cream cheese for added richness and body.  Served with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese and maybe a dollop of ají (read here), you have yourself a satisfyingly simple meal.

There's so much talk of ceviches and seafood dishes in Peruvian cuisine, which are all great but are primarily eaten and prepared in restaurants.  If you want to know what Peruvians eat on a daily basis, then tallarines verdes are a good place to start.  Here's what you'll need:

• 1 10 oz pkg frozen spinach, thawed
• 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1/2 cup packed fresh basil or jarred basil paste (found at a Peruvian market)
• 2 cups whole milk (equal parts evaporated milk and water/broth is even better!)
• 1/2 cup cream cheese
• 1 tablespoon grated parmesan cheese
• salt and pepper to taste

1. Heat a sauce pan with the olive oil on medium heat.
2. Fry the onions and garlic until the onions become translucent.  
3. Add the thawed spinach and the basil or basil paste and cook this mixture for 5 minutes or until spinach is softened and basil (if raw) is cooked.
4. Put all of the above in the blender with 1 cup of milk 1/2 cup of cream cheese, and the parmesan cheese and liquefy until it becomes uniformly green.  Continue adding milk until you get a consistency that's to your liking.  If you make the sauce too thin, you can add more cream cheese to thicken it.
5. Pour the mixture into a saucepan and cook on medium heat until the sauce is heated through.
6. Season with salt and pepper to taste
7. Toss with your favorite pasta and sprinkle with parmesan cheese.  I found that this goes really well with penne pasta

I know this is like the 3rd article on Peruvian cuisine in less than a week, but after having it for dinner tonight I knew I just had to share it.