Tallarines con Palta is a traditional Chilean pasta dish, which simply translates to “noodles with avocado”.
It’s easy and affordable to make, featuring a handful of healthy ingredients you likely have in your cupboard or fridge.
Al dente spaghetti noodles are tossed in a homemade vegetarian avocado sauce that is a beautiful bright green colour and indulgently creamy.
Our homemade Tallarines con Palta recipe takes under 30 minutes to prepare and is served topped with sliced tomatoes and crumbled queso fresco.
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What Is Tallarines con Palta?
Tallarines con Palta is a popular pasta dish from Chile typically prepared with spaghetti noodles, which are tossed in a creamy avocado sauce.
We like to use spaghetti but other thin and long noodles that you can also use include spaghettini, linguine, fettuccine and tagliatelle.
The vegetarian pasta sauce is prepared in a food processor or blender, featuring creamy ripe avocado, lemon juice, cilantro, garlic, and walnuts.
The dish is typically served sprinkled with crumbled queso fresco cheese and adorned with sweet tomato slices.
Travel to Chile by Making Tallarines con Palta at Home
I love traveling to Latin America.
As a professional food and travel journalist, I’ve had the opportunity to enjoy amazing meals in Central America, South America and the Caribbean, from traditional markets to award winning restaurants.
For over ten years, I’ve been on the hunt for the best Chilean dessert recipe. I’ve embarked on culinary adventures at local restaurants in Mexico, Cuba, Belize, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Curacao, Colombia, Ecuador, Bolivia, Chile, Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil.
In Chile, I’ve forked through pretty plates of traditional Tallarines con Palta at restaurants in Santiago, Valparasio, Vina del Mar, Isla del Negra, Pucon, and Isle de Chiloe.
Chilean Avocado Pasta makes for a delicious meat-free lunch or can be ordered as a side dish to compliment entrees. The pasta is typically garnished with a local white cheese similar to crumbled feta called queso fresco. The saltiness of the cheese contrasts nicely with the sweetness of the tomatoes.
After enjoying your first few bites, you’ll realize why Tallarines con Palta is a must-try when visiting Chile!
Health Benefits
This easy Chilean Avocado Pasta recipe is full of healthy ingredients and suitable for vegetarians:
Avocados contain almost 20 different vitamins and minerals, phytochemicals, and good fats that together support your heart health and nervous system.
Containing more protein, fibre, vitamin E and calcium that other nuts, walnuts may reduce the risk of heart disease, keep your bones healthy, and help your body absorb essential nutrients.
A rich source of phytochemicals and vitamin C, lemons help boost your immune system and neutralize free radicals that cause disease and skin aging. Lemons also protect against heart disease and help improve blood flow to the brain.
A good source of bone-strengthening vitamin K, cilantro is also rich in antioxidants that help protect the eyes from damage by free radicals.
It is only recently that scientists have begun to identify the components responsible for garlic’s myriad health benefits. Rich in phytochemicals and potassium, garlic helps boost your immune system, fight cancer and protect your heart.
Rich in a group of phytochemicals called carotenoids, tomatoes may help reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke, and provide protection against cancer. Tomatoes are also a good source of immune-boosting vitamin C.
Consuming dairy products (such as milk and cheese) provides health benefits — especially improved bone health. Dairy foods provide nutrients that are vital for health and maintenance of your body. These nutrients include calcium, potassium, vitamin D, and protein.
My Family Loves Homemade Tallarines con Palta
My family loves pasta so Tallarines con Palta was an obvious winner at dinner!
After traveling to Chile I wanted to share my favourite Chilean recipe so prepared this creamy Tallarines con Palta at the cottage in the summer for lunch.
We had a vegetarian visiting for the weekend so thought this healthy and colourful dish would make for a perfect midday meal.
The avocados and nuts when blended together produce a dairy-free sauce that is both creamy as well as rich in healthy fats.
The lemon juice, garlic and cilantro give the sauce a burst of flavour, which pairs nicely with the sweet tomatoes and salty crumbled feta cheese added to each bowl before serving.
You can make vegan Tallarines con Palta simply by omitting the crumbled feta, or use a vegan cheese substitute.
Recipe Tips
If it’s your first time making Tallarines con Palta at home be sure to review our detailed step-by-step recipe below. Here are some helpful tips and tricks to get you started.
- If you are planning to make this dish at a dinner party be sure to purchase your avocados a few days in advance so they have time to ripen. You can quicken the ripening process by adding the avocados to a paper bag with a ripe banana.
- The dish is traditionally served with spaghetti but you can use other long and thin pasta shapes like spaghettini, linguine, fettuccine or tagliatelle.
- We’ve used lemon juice in this recipe but you can substitute for freshly squeezed lime.
- Cilantro is a must as it gives the dish its distinctive flavour but you can use other tender herbs like parsley, dill and basil.
- In Chile the dish is always prepared with walnuts but you can substitute with pecans or hazelnuts if you prefer.
- We like to garnish each plate with sliced cherry or grape tomatoes but you can also use larger Roma or beefsteak tomatoes.
- Sprinkle the pasta with authentic Latin American white cheese like queso or crumbled feta.
What To Serve with Chilean Avocado Pasta
We suggest serving Tallarines con Palta as a light vegetarian lunch all on its own with a glass of white wine.
It can also be served as a side dish at a summer barbecue alongside grilled prawns, steak and vegetables.
If you’re hosting a large family gathering we like to serve the pasta out of a big pot on the stove with tongs alongside a selection of fresh salads.
If you’re hosting a Chilean feast serve Turron de Vino Red Wine Meringue as a sweet dessert to finish the meal.
Other Latin American Recipes You May Enjoy…
- Chupe de Quinoa Gluten Free Peruvian Soup
- Aguadito de Pollo Peruvian Chicken Soup
- Peruvian Quinoa Chaufa
- Maduro con Queso Baked Plantain with Cheese
- Ajiaco Cubano Recipe: Healthy Cuban Soup with Chicken
- Chicken Pork & Shrimp Mexican Paella
- Pastel Azteca Mexican Tortilla Chicken Casserole
- Tostadas de Camaron Prawn Ceviche Tostada
- Migas con Huevo Mexican Tortilla Scrambled Eggs
- Batida de Coco Brazilian Coconut Cachaça Cocktail
- Limonada de Coco Colombian Lime and Coconut Drink
You May Also Enjoy These Pasta Recipes…
- Pasta Nerano Spaghetti con Zucchine
- Cheesy Egyptian Macarona Bechamel
- Philly Cheesesteak Stuffed Pasta Shells
- Jamaican Jerk Shrimp Rasta Pasta
- Pansotti Pasta with Genovesi Walnut Pesto Sauce
- Ciceri e Tria Vegan Pugliese Pasta with Chickpeas
- Tajarin Pasta with Porcini Truffle Butter Sauce
- Pizzoccheri alla Valtellinese Buckwheat Pasta
- Calabrese Pasta Sauce Recipe With Fusilli
- Tagliatelle alla Bolognese Pasta
- Lumache Rigate Snail Pasta with Garlic Butter
- Ndunderi Amalfi Lemon Ricotta Gnocchi
- Älplermagronen Cheesy Swiss Alpine Macaroni
How To Make Traditional Tallarines con Palta
Chilean Tallarines con Palta Avocado Pasta
Equipment
- French knife
- measuring cups
- measuring spoons
- Blender or Food Processor
- Large pot
Ingredients
- 14 oz Spaghetti
- 2 Large Ripe Avocados
- 2 tbsp Lemon Juice
- 1/2 cup Cilantro
- 2 Garlic Cloves minced
- 1/4 cup Walnuts
- Salt & Pepper
- 1/2 cup Cherry Tomatoes sliced
- 1/4 cup Queso or Feta Cheese crumbled
Instructions
- Cut the avocados in half and scoop the flesh into a blender or food processor.
- Add the lemon juice, cilantro, garlic, walnuts, salt and pepper. Blend until smooth.
- Cook the spaghetti until al dente. Reserve some of the pasta water before straining the noodles.
- Toss spaghetti with avocado mixture, adding pasta water to thin it out until you achieve a velvety and creamy sauce.
- Portion onto plates or bowls and serve topped with sliced tomatoes and crumbled cheese.
Nutrition
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