VR Cookbook

DIRECTIONS

Tallarines Verdes by Diane Calderon

To Make the Green Sauce

INGREDIENTS

3 cups packed spinach leaves 1 cup packed basil leaves 5 ounces cubed queso blanco or queso fresco, plus more for garnish 2 garlic cloves, peeled 1/2 white or yellow onion, peeled 1/4 cup walnuts (optional) 1/4 cup olive oil 1/4 cup evaporated milk Pinch kosher salt

To a blender, add the spinach leaves, basil, queso blanco, garlic cloves, shallot, walnuts, olive oil, evaporated milk and a pinch of salt and a few turns of freshly cracked pepper. Blend for 30 seconds to a minute, scraping down the sides as needed. Give the green sauce a taste and adjust the salt accordingly (this type of cheese tends to be quite salty so you may only need a pinch or two extra). 1. Meanwhile, bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Drop the pasta in the water and cook according to package’s directions. Drain the pasta, reserving about 1/2 cup of pasta water. Add the pasta back to the pot and pour in the green sauce. Toss the pasta until it’s thoroughly coated. Feel free to add a splash or two of pasta water to the pasta to thin the sauce out a bit. Divide between bowls and garnish with some queso fresco crumbles and freshly cracked pepper. 1. To Make the Pasta and Assemble:

Freshly ground pepper 1 pound pasta , of choice

NOTE

Let it sit for like 3-5 minutes in the covered pot once you have combined the pasta and the sauce to let it thicken a bit. As noted in the recipe, this is traditionally served with a thin steak and thickly sliced red or white onions that have been sautéed in the meat juices. So yummy!