There are various types of pastas in Cusco, what we call fides. They come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Each has its own name.
For example we have the elbow fideo that is like a macaroni. It is especially good for making a main dish of fideos. The dish is made up with potatoes diced into small squares and with meat that is similarly minced.
We also have what we call macaroni which is mostly used for soups. Angle hair, like the macaroni, is for the making of soups. It is called angel hair because the pasta is so thin.
People also use the corbata (bow tie) fideos for the making of soups. For the main dish of the day, many restaurants prepare delicious soups. These are the most consumed by the people of the city since every day our caseras, food vendors in different parts of the city’s markets,, make up this soup daily. Other restaurants make it up every day for breakfast. Almost always people enjoy this delicious soup with a few drops of limejuice and a little bit of rocoto pepper to give it a unique touch and make it even better.
Tallarines, what you call fettuccine, are other pastas that we have. These are especially used to make up main courses. One dish that people particularly ask for is tallarines with a papa a la huancaina, potatoes huancaina style. This delicious dish is frequently prepared in our homes and in our restaurants as well as in the various gastronomic fairs held in Cusco.
Another exquisite dish also prepared with this pasta is the tallarin on pollo. It involves a red sauce seasoned with bay leaves and makes the perfect combination to go with the chicken and fettuccine. No one can resist trying it.
Since we are speaking about the delights made with this fettuccine we should also mention the great tallarin al horno, the baked fettucine that is a well known dish in Cuzco, recognized for its flavor and which is prepared for the majority of our gatherings, including baptisms, birthdays, and more. You can eat it on the side of whatever you wish, although most people combine it with a stuffed rocoto pepper.
The people of Cuzco really enjoy these nutritious fideos, or pastas, in many different preparations. If you are in Cuzco you can try any of these delicious foods that we have mentioned.
