Bolivian Aji De Fideos - Spicy Pasta Dish
This delicious and flavorful pasta dish is called Aji de Fideos in Bolivia. It's a traditional Bolivian dish that originated in the city of Cochabamba. Pasta is cooked in a meat sauce with tomatoes, red pepper , onions, potatoes and garnished with parsley and green peas. This is a favorite comfort food recipe for our family!!
Servings 4 servings
Calories 415kcal
Equipment
- Medium pot
Ingredients
- 1 lb beef chunks for stew (about 450 grams) dice them in bite site pieces
- 1 large potato, or few smaller ones
- 1 red onion
- 2 garlic cloves
- 5 campari tomatoes or 3 tomatoes on the vine
- 1 sweet red pepper
- 1 tbsp aji panca or aji amarillo Aji is used for both flavor and spice so see recipe notes to decide which to use. You can replace aji with any chili paste of your choice but then you'll have to play around with the quantity until you get the results you want.
- 1 tbsp Better than Bouillon Chicken base
- 1 lb penne pasta (about 450 grams)
- salt/pepper to taste
- 1 cup frozen green peas
- 1 cup fresh chopped parsley part used for cooking and part for garnish
- 4 tbsp olive oil extra virgin
Instructions
- Dice meat chunks in bite size pieces. Season with salt and pepper.
- Saute meat well until brown in a medium size pot in 1-2 tbsps of olive oil. Add 2 cups of hot water and let it cook in medium heat.
- Chop onions, tomatoes and red pepper. Mince the garlic.
- Get a skillet and add the remaining olive oil. Start sauteing onions and minced garlic. Once onions become translucent, then add diced tomatoes and red pepper.
- Stir the sauce occasionally, keep heat medium.
- Add aji (spice of your choice). I prefer aji panca for a family dinner or aji amarillo when I'm cooking for just my husband and myself. Aji panca is not spicy but aji amarillo is.
- Add bouillon as well, mix well then add chopped parsley. Leave few tbsps of parsley on the side for garnish at the end.
- Lower heat, cover skillet and let sauce simmer for few minutes. Then transfer sauce to the pot where meat is cooking. Mix and stir well. Taste for salt and adjust as needed. If sauce is too thick, then add another cup of hot water. You want the sauce to be very thin at this point because you'll boil the pasta in it.
- Return the skillet to stove top. Add diced potatoes and start sauteing while scraping the skillet. The bits and pieces of sauce left over will give the potatoes a great taste.
- Transfer the potatoes as well to the pot, mix once and let it cook.
- Finally add the pasta to the skillet. If skillet has no more oil left, you can add 1 more tbsp of oil. Saute the pasta but don't let it burn. This process is called tostar la pasta in Spanish.
- Pour the toasted pasta into the pot where meat is cooking. Mix and let cook for 10-12 minutes. Make sure all pasta is covered in sauce.
- While pasta is cooking, steam the frozen peas and chop the remaining parsley.
- Serve the pasta with meat and sauce in a deep dish. Garnish with peas and parsley. Enjoy:))
Nutrition
Calories: 415kcal