Pasta a la Huancaína
Peru’s beloved salsa a la huancaína provides the foundation for this Pasta a la Huancaína. A creamy, subtly spicy blender sauce is finished with butter and parmesan cheese. Choose the traditional spaghetti (tallarines) or your favorite pasta shape… Serve it as is, or top with these Peruvian meatballs, these cheese stuffed bison meatballs, this leftover chicken, or simple stir-fried veggies. This Peruvian pasta recipe is flexible, delicious, and super quick and easy to prepare!
👩🏻🍳 Tamara Talks – About the Huancaína Sauce
Salsa a la huancaína (pronounced wan-kay-eena) originated in the high Andean city of Huancayo at about 3,259 meters (10,692 feet) above sea level, making it one of the highland cities of Peru. The region’s economy is primarily based on agriculture, with crops like potatoes, maize, and various vegetables being significant.
This spicy Peruvian cheese sauce is a staple in Peruvian cuisine and is commonly served with boiled potatoes (papas a la huancaína), a popular appetizer at gatherings and celebrations. You won’t want to limit its use to potatoes, however. The key ingredient for this spicy Peruvian yellow sauce is the ají amarillo pepper. When these peppers are ripe, they’re a deep orange, but they turn yellow as they cook. They give the sauce its signature yellow color.
Our most recent trip to Peru in 2024, I had huancaína sauce on grilled chicken, on spaghetti with cheese stuffed alpaca meatballs, and more. The creamy, slightly spicy sauce is magical when combined with butter and parmesan! The photos below are of 2 of the dishes I had (and loved!) on our trip. This is a new “thing” in Peru, and I expect it will be a huge trend in Peruvian cuisine!
I had house made rigatoni with huancaína sauce and alpaca meatballs stuffed with cheese.
Muy rico!
📋 Ingredients Notes
Here is a quick look at the ingredients in the recipe – it’s handy to use at the grocery store or as a summary of what you need. Skip to the recipe for quantities.
- huancaína sauce – Salsa a la huancaína is quick and easy to make. The ingredients are added to a blender, and pulsed until smooth. You can adjust the heat level according to your preference by adding more or less ají amarillo paste. You can buy huancaína sauce online, but I cannot speak to its quality.
- pasta – Tallarines – spaghetti – is typical. I would recommend spaghetti, linguini, fettucini, or similar…
- butter
- cheese – Parmesan is typical, but you can use another hard, aged cheese like pecorino or asiago.
- herb garnish – To me, the natural garnish is cilantro. I know some people have an actual allergy to cilantro that makes it taste like soap. Substitute parsley or basil.
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🔪 Step-By-Step Instructions
- Start the pasta – Fill a pasta pot 2/3 full of water, and add a generous palm full of salt. Cook pasta according to pasta instructions to al dente.
- Warm the huancaína sauce – On medium-low heat, gently warm the prepared huancaína sauce.
- Add the butter and cheese – With the sauce on medium-low heat, stir in the butter and grated parmesan. Stir constantly to avoid scorching.
- Stir the sauce until cheese and butter are completely incorporated. Season if needed. Keep warm until cooked pasta is added.
- Finish the pasta a la huancaína – Stir the cooked pasta into the sauce. Plate the pasta, and garnish with fresh herbs and additional cheese as desired. NOTE: I love Aleppo pepper, and keep it on the stove beside the pepper grinder. It contrasts beautifully with the spicy yellow sauce, doesn’t it? Well, I eat with my eyes!😉
❓FAQ
Yes. Gently reheat on the stove or in a microwaveable container with a lid to keep it moist.
So many things! Traditional papas a la huancaína is a popular appetizer in Peru. It’s great on Peruvian meatballs, Peruvian sandwich, or Peruvian grilled chicken.
💭 Tip
This Peruvian ají amarillo sauce will keep 3 days in the refrigerator. The recipe makes about 1 cup. I often double the recipe so that I have leftover sauce. Try it on a sandwich, grilled chicken, potatoes, or meatballs.
I’m really excited about this new pasta with spicy Peruvian yellow sauce! I’m working on a cheese stuffed meatball recipe like the one in the photo above, but until then, my baked Peruvian meatballs are great with it!
UPDATE: I finished the cheese-stuffed meatballs, and they play beautifully with this pasta a la huancaína!
Pasta a la Huancaína Recipe
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Ingredients
- 1 cup huancaína sauce
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 ounces parmesan - grated
- 8 ounces spaghetti - or similar
- chopped cilantro, parsley, or basil - for garnish
- additional parmesan - for garnish
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to package directions with a palm full of salt.
- Gently warm the huancaína sauce over medium-low heat, whisking occasionally.
- Add the butter and parmesan. Continue to whisk until both are fully incorporated.
- Toss the spaghetti with the sauce. Garnish with herbs and additional parmesan as desired. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
NOTE: Macronutrients are an approximation only using unbranded ingredients and MyFitnessPal.com. Please do your own research with the products you’re using if you have a serious health issue or are following a specific diet.
Note: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you. This helps to offset the costs of maintaining my blog and creating awesome content! 😊
I made this recipe! Very yummy and comforting. I added the aleppo pepper too and it was delicious.
Thanks for your feedback Swetha!
Based on our most recent trip to Peru, this is going to be a food trend there. This is a really good dish, and the addition of butter and parmesan to the salsa huancaina takes it to the next level. This dish is exceptionally good with meatballs.
I’m really excited about this recipe, and agree with you on the addition of meatballs!