Chicha Venezolana con Pasta, Easy Traditional Recipe
Ingredients
- 200 g short pasta spirals work best
- 4 cups water 3 for cooking, 1 for blending
- 4 cups milk 3 for cooking, 1 for blending
- 2 tins sweetened condensed milk divided (1 for the chicha, 1 for drizzling)
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon plus extra for serving
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Ice a proper heap of it
Instructions
- Cook the pasta soft. In a pot, combine the pasta with 3 cups of the water and 3 cups of the milk. Cook over medium heat for about 35 minutes, stirring now and then so it does not catch, until the pasta is very soft and the liquid has thickened.
- Blend until silky. Tip the pasta mixture into a blender. Add the remaining 1 cup water, remaining 1 cup milk, one tin of condensed milk, the cinnamon, and the vanilla. Blend until completely smooth with no lumps. Take it further than you think you need to.
- Chill. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Chicha is only right when it is properly cold.
- Serve over lots of ice. Fill a glass with far more ice than feels reasonable. Pour the chicha over, drizzle condensed milk from your second tin, and finish with a sprinkle of ground cinnamon over the top.
Notes
Tips for the best pasta chicha
Keep it in the blender, in the fridge. This is my little trick. Rather than decanting into a jug, I put the whole blender jug straight in the fridge. Chicha firms up as it sits, so every time I want a glass I just pop the blender back on the base, blitz for a few seconds to loosen it, and pour. Fresh texture, no effort.
Ice is not optional. Because it thickens over time, chicha needs ice at the point of serving, every time. Pour it over a bunch load of ice rather than trying to drink it straight from the fridge. The melt is part of the pleasure.
Blend longer for a smoother body. If you catch any graininess, it usually just wants another minute in the blender.