Penne Pasta with Huancaina Sauce
Huancaina is a popular Peruvian creamy and spicy cheese sauce made with aji amarillo paste. It is used on a lot starchy carbs such as potatoes, rice, and pasta. The preparation is really simple. All of the sauce ingredients get puréed in a blender, then heated with milk. I chose to mix in penne pasta and top with parmesan and parsley.
Equipment
- Blender or food processor
Ingredients
- 1 lb dry penne pasta prepared according to package directions
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/2 medium red onion chopped
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1/2 cup evaporated milk
- 1/4 cup aji amarillo paste
- 1 cup queso fresco diced
- 4 soda crackers
- 1 1/2 cups whole milk
- salt to taste
Garnish
- parmesan cheese
- parsley chopped
Instructions
- Heat up cooking oil in a large sauté pan over medium high heat. Sauté the onions and garlic for 5 minutes.
- Add the evaporated milk, aji amarillo paste, queso fresco, soda crackers, and sautéed onions and garlic to a blender or food processor. Purée until smooth.
- Pour the sauce and whole milk into a large deep sauce pan over medium heat. Simmer for 6-8 minutes, stirring consistently.
- Add in the cooked penne pasta. Mix to make sure it is evenly coated. Cook for 3-4 more minutes.
- Turn off the heat. Garnish with parmesan cheese and chopped parsley.
