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Tallarines rojos
Spaghetti in red sauce with chicken
Peruvian spaghetti in red tomato and onion sauce with chicken
Tallarines rojos is the Sunday-lunch and weeknight pasta of homes all over Peru, from Lima to Arequipa: spaghetti in a sweet, deep-red sauce of blended tomato, onion and garlic with a little ají panca and oregano, often with pieces of chicken cooked right in it. Children love it, and it is served with a sprinkle of grated cheese and sometimes a spoon of huancaína on the side. The usual mistake is cooking the sauce too briefly, so it tastes of raw onion; let the blended tomato fry until it darkens and the oil shows at the edges. Chef's tip: a bay leaf and a spoon of ají panca paste give the sauce its Peruvian character; paprika will do if you can't find the paste.
- Total time
- 30 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 14 oz spaghetti
- 1 tbsp saltfor the pasta water, plus a pinch for the sauce
- 14 oz boneless chicken thighsskinless, cut into 3 cm pieces
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 red onionroughly chopped
- 4 ripe tomatoesquartered, or 400 g tinned plum tomatoes
- 3 garlic clovespeeled
- 1 tbsp ají panca pasteor 1 tsp sweet paprika
- 1 tbsp tomato purée
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 ⅜ oz grated parmesan or queso fresco (optional)parmesan is usually made with animal rennet; use a vegetarian hard cheese if you prefer
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What you'll need
Spices & pantry
Fresh ingredients (4)
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Bring a large pot of water to the boil with ¾ tbsp salt.
5 minStep 2: Blend 1 red onion, 4 ripe tomatoes and 3 garlic cloves until smooth.
2 minStep 3: Heat 2 tbsp vegetable oil in a wide pan over a medium-high heat. Season 14 oz boneless chicken thighs with the rest of ¼ tbsp salt and brown it, turning, until golden on most sides, 4–5 minutes.
5 minStep 4: Add the blended tomato, 1 tbsp ají panca paste, 1 tbsp tomato purée, 1 tsp dried oregano and 1 bay leaf. Simmer, stirring now and then, until the sauce is thick, darker red and oil glistens at the edges, and the chicken reaches 165°F inside with no pink left, 12–15 minutes. Splash in a little pasta water if it catches.
14 minStep 5: Meanwhile cook 14 oz spaghetti until just tender with a slight bite, following the packet time. Scoop out a mug of cooking water, then drain.
10 minStep 6: Remove the bay leaf, tip the spaghetti into the sauce and toss for a minute over a low heat, adding pasta water until it coats every strand. Serve with 1 ⅜ oz grated parmesan or queso fresco sprinkled over.
1 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 610 kcal
- Protein
- 32 g
- Carbs
- 82 g
- Fat
- 15 g
- Fibre
- 6 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does tallarines rojos take?
- About 30 minutes in total: 8 minutes to prepare and 22 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- What can I use instead of spaghetti?
- Linguine or any long pasta, same amount.
- What can I use instead of boneless chicken thighs?
- Chicken breast, same weight (cook a few minutes less so it stays juicy).
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