Pastel de tallarin o tallarin al horno (pasta casserole)

Ingredients:

• 1 kg of spaghetti or your favorite pasta (approximately 2 lbs)
• 2 cups of evaporated milk
• 8 eggs
• 350 g of shredded cheese (it could be fresh cheese, mozzarella, Havarti or similar)
• 125 g of salted butter (approximately 1/4 lb)
• Salt
• 1 teaspoon of anise seed

Preparation:

Cook the pasta in boiling water with some salt, drain it and reserve. Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease a large casserole with some of the butter. Put a layer of pasta in the casserole and then cover it with some shredded cheese and small pieces of butter, repeat this process once or twice until you use all the pasta and cheese. Whisk the eggs, add the milk and salt to taste and pour over the whole pasta. Sprinkle the anise on top. Put the casserole in the oven and bake until golden, approximately for 45 minutes.

Cut it as a cake and serve it with llatan as a main dish or a side dish for a steak or roasted lamb. 

Pasta con Aji de Langostinos (pasta with shrimps in yellow chili sauce)

Ingredients:

• 750 g. of medium size shrimps (approximately 1.5 lbs)
• 500 g. of spaghetti (or your favorite pasta)
• 6 minced garlic cloves
• 1 regular size onion in thick slices
• 3 tablespoons of aji amarillo paste (Peruvian yellow chili paste)
• 3 slices of white bread soaked in 1 cup of milk
• 12 peeled roasted peanuts (it could be replaced by 1 tablespoon of peanut butter)
• 2 cups of cottage cheese (fresh cheese or mozzarella could be used)
• 4 tablespoons of oil
• 2 hard boiled eggs
• 1/2 cup of black olives (halved or pitted) Parsley
• Salt
• Black pepper

Preparation:

Put 3 tablespoons of oil in a pan and sauté the minced garlic and onion until the onion is cooked. Add the aji amarillo and cook for two minutes stirring frequently. Put the mix in a blender, add the soaked bread, cheese, peanuts and a teaspoon of salt. Blend until creamy, add a little bit of milk if too thick and salt if needed.

Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a pan at medium-low temperature, add the shrimps, some salt and black pepper and cook for about 5 minutes until the shrimp are cooked. Pour the sauce and cook until the sauce starts boiling, stir frequently.

Cook the pasta the usual way.

Serve the pasta cover with plenty of sauce. Decorate each plate with slices of hard boiled eggs, olives, and parsley.

Arroz con Mariscos (seafood rice)

Ingredients:

• 1 Kg of seafood medley (approx. 2 lbs)
• 1 dozen mussels
• 1 tablespoon of aji panca paste (red Peruvian chili paste or it could be replaced with 2 teaspoons of ground paprika)
• 1 tablespoon of aji amarillo paste
• 2 tablespoons of tomato paste
• 1 diced onion
• 4 minced garlic cloves
• 1 red bell pepper cut in thin strips
• 1/2 cup of peas
• 1/2 cup of minced cilantro
• 1 cup of mussel broth
• 1/2 cup of white wine
• 3 teaspoons of salt
• 1 teaspoon of black pepper
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 1 lime in slices
• 4 cups of white rice

Preparation:

Prepare the white rice the usual way. Put the mussels in a small pot with enough water to cover them. Add a pinch of salt and black pepper and let it cook on medium high until the mussels open. Reserve the broth.

Heat the olive oil in a pan. Add the onion, garlic, peas and the mussel broth and cook until the peas are tender. Add the aji panca, aji amarillo, tomato paste, bay leaves, salt and black pepper and cook for about 5 minutes stirring often to mix all ingredients well. Add the wine and seafood medley and cook for another 5 minutes. Add the cilantro, red bell pepper and mussels and stir. Pour the mixture over the warm rice rice and mix well, add salt and black pepper if needed.

Serve warm and decorate with cilantro leaves. Put some lime slices on each plate.